Silent Witness
by Pokeyonekenobie
Summary: The Preventers break up a human trafficking ring and find a girl who can provide them with the testimony they need to put a lot of despicable people behind bars for good. The only trouble is: she's not talking.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello hello! This is an...interesting endeavor. I decided that I wanted to write a story from the point of view of a character that doesn't speak. It is first person present tense, so for those of you that hate that, I'm sorry. Well, not really. I am planning on doing a companion fic to this one that will be third person and show what the other characters were doing/thinking during this story.**

**A note about the chapters: They will be divided up as the story dictates. Some chapters will be nice and long while others are much shorter.**

**Warnings: Mild swearing, some violence, abuse, non-graphic mention of attempted NCS.**

**Disclaimer: This story has been written for entertainment purposes only and is not to be used as a substitute for medical help or...wait...what was I doing? Oh yeah: I DON'T OWN GUNDAM WING.**

**Warnings and Disclaimer apply to all chapters. As always, reviews are welcome! Enjoy.**

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"I dunno…it seems to me that we should just leave her. She isn't coming willingly."

"Duo, we can't leave her. We don't know what could happen to her if we do."

"So what, we just grab her and see how well that goes over?"

"If we have to. Let me see if I can get her to come with us. If not, I'll let you grab her and we'll deal with it, okay?"

"Whatever, Quatre. But make it quick, Heero won't appreciate it if we make him wait all day."

My world is dark right now. I have my eyes shut. If I keep them shut, maybe they'll go away. I hear someone coming closer and flinch reflexively. I can't help it. No one's even touched me, but I flinch.

"We won't hurt you." The voice is quiet. I can almost feel a hand reaching towards me. I curl myself up tighter. I don't want to be touched. "Please come with us. It isn't safe here. I promise no one will hurt you."

The voice seems sincere. But I've heard sincerity before. I've learned not to trust anyone.

"Come on, Quat, this isn't working. She's obviously got a serious case of Stockholm's. Either I grab her or we leave her. I don't care which anymore."

"Shut up Duo." The voice is annoyed. I curl tighter. "Please come with us. It really isn't safe." I feel a hand touch my shoulder and bite back a gasp. My shoulder has been sore for a few days now, but he has no way of knowing that. I'm sure he can see the bruises on my arms and face even in the poor light, though. His hand suddenly jerks back, as if I've burned him. "I'm sorry," the voice whispers. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

I carefully open one eye, the one that isn't swollen. No one has apologized to me before. Who would bother now? I see a couple of men, early twenties if I had to guess. The one closest to me is blonde and kneeling down next to me. His eyes are full of concern. But I still don't trust it. Concern, like sincerity, can be faked. The other one is standing, his body language betraying his annoyance. A long, dark braid snakes down his back. It's a little dark in this forgotten corridor, most of the lights haven't worked for as long as I can remember, and he's too far away so I can't discern much else.

"Can you stand up?" The blonde's question pulls my attention back to him. I don't know. I don't know if I want to answer him.

"Quatre, come on! We don't have time for this." The braided man is annoyed and impatient to leave. I don't know why they don't just leave me behind. Everyone else has.

The blonde looks me square in the eye and says, "I'm going to pick you up. I will do my best not to hurt you, okay?"

No. It's not okay. I don't want to be touched. But I cannot answer him. I can't tell him not to touch me. I can't tell him that I cannot stand up because of my leg. I can't tell him that I would rather the building collapse on me than have any chance that _he_ will come back for me. _He_ is convinced that _he_ owns me. _He_ told me that _he_ will break me and I will be grateful for it someday. _He _is an ass. I hate _him_. I will never let _him_ break me, even though _he_ almost did.

I flinch as the blonde reaches out and lifts me off the ground. His touch is gentle, even though it still hurts me. He doesn't know how badly _he_ beat me yesterday. Or was it this morning? I don't know anymore. I've lost track. I repress another gasp of pain. I cannot fight against his touch even though I want to. I just don't have the energy or the strength for it today. I feel myself being raised up as I shut my eyes again. I feel him moving through the building and can hear his companion grumbling ahead of us.

My body is jarred as they run up the stairs and outside. I am terrified. I haven't been outside for three years at least. I suspect longer. I was told by _him_ that if I ever went outside without _his_ permission, I would die. _He_ would make sure that I did, and I have no reason to doubt _him_, even if _he_ is an ass. In fact, the only time _he_ told the truth was when _he_ was threatening me.

I open my eyes as we go outside. It's dusk, so at least the sun isn't too bright, but the fear that somehow _his _threat will be made good takes over my senses. As much as I want to die so _he _can't get me anymore, I still don't want to die at all. I'm only 19. At least I'm pretty sure I'm 19. _He_ took me hostage when I was 14 and if I haven't gotten too far off on keeping track, I've been captive for five years. I've seen others come and go as their families paid for their release from _his_ clutches, but I still don't really understand why_ he_ took me in the first place. I mean, I know what _he_ wanted from me, but I never cooperated with _him. _I never tried to escape, either, partly because I have no idea where I am, mostly because _he _threatened to kill my family if I did.

My family was never rich or powerful so there was no way they could pay for my release. For all I know, they assume I am dead.

"Wufei!" The blonde's voice rumbles in his chest as my head rests against it. I just don't have the energy right now to push away from him. I'd end up on my butt on the ground if I tried and I'm sure that my fresh bruises would not appreciate that. I close my eyes again. My eyelids are heavy, but I am still very much awake.

I hear another person approach. "Give her to me. Heero wants to see you."

"He can wait. She can't."

"Quatre," the new voice sounds tired.

"Wufei, you didn't see her in there. We almost didn't get her to come out at all."

"Actually, we didn't anyway." I recognize the braided man's voice. "Quatre had to grab her and haul her out. She just didn't fight him like we thought she would."

"Duo. Heero is waiting for you and Quatre to report." Another new voice. This one soft.

"Trowa, make Quatre hand her over so he can go give his report," the first new voice says peevishly.

There is a silence. I can only assume that the second new voice is trying to assess the situation. I am getting cold. I realize that I am wearing only jeans and a t-shirt. I have not been allowed socks or shoes since I wore out the pair I was wearing when _he_ took me away. I have never been allowed a coat. It was a warm spring day when I was taken, so I was not wearing one. It has been an exceptionally cool spring and the night is starting to get chilly. I shiver. I hate it because it allows the blonde to know that I am cold, but also because it jars my sore body.

"Quatre," the second new voice says, "give her to me. There's a blanket in the tent and she's freezing."

I feel the hesitation, but the blonde hands me over. The new arms are warm and I cannot resist attempting to absorb more of it. I'm so cold. I can feel myself being carried away. I crack my eyes open ever so slightly and see a tent a short distance ahead. It is a medium sized tent, probably designed to sleep three or four comfortably. There is a sour looking Chinese man standing next to the flap. He is scowling. I am no longer sure if I am trembling because I am cold or because he is angry. I do not want any more anger directed at me.

He sets me down and I feel panicked as I realize that I am now alone in a tent with two men. Two men that I am completely powerless to fight off. I look up as I feel a blanket being wrapped around me. The man who carried me in doesn't look particularly cruel, but it's hard to tell as half of his face is obscured by a shock of hair. His face is impassive, but his green eyes belie his calm exterior. His eyes are angry. I curl up under the blanket, afraid of the two angry men. The blonde promised no one would hurt me, but he isn't here. It isn't like I could trust him anyway.

"Did we catch the bastard?" the first voice belongs to the Chinese man.

"Yeah. I'm glad I got to plug him now that I can see some of his work."

_He_ is gone? Are they sure? Maybe it's all a trick. _He_ is testing me, to see how I'll react. I can't let _him_ know how glad I would be if _he_ really was gone. I'll get a special beating for it. So I remain as neutral as I can, shutting my eyes and I focus on getting warm. The blanket is welcome even though I am sure it will be ripped away as soon as _he _thinks my guard is down.

"She's definitely the worst off of any I've seen, though. I can't believe the Preventers didn't pick up this case sooner."

"I know, Wufei, but human trafficking is not as pressing as some of the other cases they've had lately."

There is a grunt and then the sound of movement. I am trying to remain as still as possible because I don't want to draw their attention. I feel a hand gently touch my shoulder and I flinch. The hand is no longer touching me, but I remain tense. If I'm going to get a beating, at least I'm in a good curled up position. My back will bear the brunt of it.

"Quatre wasn't kidding about her needing to be seen immediately," the Chinese man says quietly. "Duo said they had to grab her because she wouldn't come willingly." I feel him lean over me and gently pull back the edge of the blanket. "I'm not going to hurt you. But I do need to see where you're hurt. We need to document your injuries and treat them."

I stay curled up as tightly as I can, eyes shut.

"Wufei, maybe we should give her a bit of time. Look at her, she's terrified. Maybe we can try again in an hour to let her adjust to this new situation?"

"Hmm. You may be right, Trowa." The blanket slides back over me, for which I am grateful. Although, the meager heat I'd managed to get into the blanket was released when he moved it in the first place. I'm tired and whatever they've put me on is soft and as I get warm, I feel myself relaxing. I drift into oblivion, unsure if I should be allowing myself the luxury of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I haven't decided on an update schedule for this one. Maybe it will be a surprise! :)**

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_His_ voice comes to me in the darkness. "You cannot escape me. You are _mine_. Remember that. I will not let you go easily."

I cannot see anything, but memories flood my mind.

I was walking home from school. The sun was warm and spring break was just around the corner. My friends and I had plans to hang out at the pool and flirt with the new lifeguards. A limousine pulled up next to me as I waited to cross the street. It was not an uncommon sight in this part of California. Many movie stars have second or third homes in the area. The window rolled down. Definitely an uncommon sight, and it piqued my interest. Which movie star was in there?

"You have lovely eyes." It was the first time I heard _his_ voice. I didn't know how to respond, so I just stood there. "Come over here; let me get a better look."

I approached the limo, unafraid. I had never had any reason to be afraid. I was not expecting the door to open. _He_ sat there, wearing an Armani suit, smiling. _He_ was not threatening in any way. "I'm a casting director and you have such interesting eyes. Would you be interested in doing any auditions?"

I nodded. I had always loved being in the limelight. I'm kind of an attention whore when I'm center stage and acting had always seemed to be the perfect career choice for me. _He _smiled. I have since learned not to trust that smile. _He_ grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the limousine, ordering the driver to move.

I was terrified as we drove one hour, then two. I could see trees, a forest, around us. We were going to the middle of nowhere. The entire time, _he_ sat calmly and stared at me. I was too afraid to scream or try to escape the vehicle. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say and I should have at _least_ tried to jump from the car when we stopped at a traffic light before leaving town.

When the car finally stopped, _he_ grabbed me roughly by the arm and pulled me into a large house. I wanted to ask what _he_ wanted with me, but _he_ shoved me against the wall just inside the door,_ his_ larger frame and firm grip preventing me from running.

"Listen up." _His_ voice was quiet, but threatening. "You are mine. No one will touch you but me. You will do as you are told. Disobedience will be paid for dearly. Do you understand?"

I could only nod in stark terror. This was _not_ how my spring break was supposed to go.

_He_ smiled at me. Brushing a hand down my cheek _he _said, "You really do have the most beautiful eyes. That's why I'm saving you for me. Once I've trained you…you should be quite…" _he_ looked me up and down, "delicious." _His_ demeanor changed abruptly as my arm was back in _his_ vice-like grip. I was hauled through the house to a small room in the basement. The room contained a small cot and a chair. Nothing else. The door had a small window in it. It looked like something from a prison or an asylum, like you saw in the movies.

_He_ threw me inside and locked the door behind me. I looked up to see _his_ face in the window. "You don't need to worry…yet. I want to wait until I've broken you." _He_ left me alone to figure out what _he_ meant. I have since learned that _he _enjoys mind games.

I think I was left alone for two days before I saw _him_ again. _He _leered at me through the window of the room. "Would you like to earn a meal and a blanket?"

I wasn't sure what that would entail, but I was starving and spent the nights shivering on the small cot, so I nodded. _He _smiled. _He_ opened the door and pulled me out into the hallway. I was forced to keep up _his_ pace as we went up the stairs to the attic. It was very dirty up there, full of boxes that had been haphazardly stacked. It didn't smell very pleasant either. I asked about it and _he_ told me there were probably dead squirrels in there somewhere.

"You will organize this mess. If you manage to do so in less than six hours, I will give you a blanket. But, if you want a meal as well, you'll do it in less than three. I have a guard posted at the bottom of the stairs and outside, so don't even think about trying to escape." _He_ left me alone in the attic and I worked as fast as I could force my body to go. I did not earn a blanket that day.

I worked for over eight hours and still had not managed to shift even a quarter of the mess that was in the large attic. The next day passed in the same manner, only I was even more tired and hungry and now my body was sore from the previous day's exertion, which meant that I did even less than before. _He _beat me that night. I no longer remember the details of that first beating, just that it was extremely brutal. I could not move when _he_ was done and my throat was raw from screaming.

The next morning there was a plate of food by the door. I had to crawl across the floor to reach it and ate while lying down because I could not force my body into an upright position. The food was not good, but I had never gone hungry before and I was desperate.

I did not see _him _for another two days.

"Shall we try again?"

I was still very sore from the beating I'd received and the one plate of food I'd had all week wasn't enough. I wanted to shake my head, refuse, but there was something in _his_ eye that stopped me. It was like _he_ wanted me to refuse. At that very early point I made a decision. _He_ was not going to break me. Ever.

I looked _him_ in the eye and nodded once. I forced myself to work hard that day. I still did not finish the attic, but _he_ did not beat me that night. The next day was the same. It took me two weeks to earn the blanket. Every other day was punctuated with a beating and a meal. It was the only way I had to keep track of the time and eventually those occurrences became too haphazard to be reliable.

I learned to pick my battles very carefully. I also learned that _he_ was cruel for no reason. I would return to my room after a long day of work and find my blanket gone. I would have to earn it back once a month. My meals were sporadic and only barely enough to keep me alive. I learned not to speak, not to make noise of any kind, especially when _he_ beat me. _He_ enjoyed my pain far too much. I think this sometimes made _him_ hit me harder, but I was determined not to let _him_ win. I lost track of how long I'd been there.

I woke to find _him_ standing over me one morning. "You've been here a year. Does that shock you?"

It did, but I wasn't about to admit it.

"I've decided to try a new tactic with you." _He _grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs to the second floor. _He_ put me in a new bedroom, this one furnished with a twin sized bed, complete with bedding, a dresser, nightstand and a closet of clothes. "This will be your new room. You are not to wander the house and I will lock you inside when you are not otherwise employed. The windows are barred, so don't bother with trying to escape through them."

_He_ turned but just as _he_ went through the door, _he_ turned back to me. "That door leads to a bathroom. I suggest you shower and change before I return."

I hurried. I did not want another beating if I could avoid it, as I already knew that regular beatings were to be expected. I did pause in front of the mirror to get a good look at myself. At least, I think it was me. I still had the dark hair, but it was limp and the ends were split. I was sure it was from a lack of nutrients as well as sporadic care over the past year. My skin was covered in bruises, some old, some new, in a rainbow of colors. But it was my eyes that made me jump. They were still the light, icy green rimmed in gray, but now they were hard, and afraid. I didn't like it. I learned to avoid the mirror.

I was clean and changed before _he_ returned. As _he _raked me over with _his_ eyes, _he_ said, "Very good. You're learning. You will have new duties." _He_ outlined the long list of household chores I would now be expected to complete. I began to envy Cinderella her stepmother. By comparison, she was nice.

My new duties included cleaning the house from top to bottom _every day_. I was to be up at four in order to begin my work and I was not to stop until the house was spotless. It was not a small house. The first day, I stayed up until three am trying to finish, only to be rudely awakened in an hour to start over. I had to come up with a system in order to get it done in enough time to get more than two hours of sleep every night. There were times that I could not clean certain rooms. _He_ said they were in use and I was not to disturb _his _clients. Sometimes I could hear girls screaming behind those closed doors. The screams lasted anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on how many clients were visiting that week. And the mess afterward always told what had befallen those girls. I do not know where they came from or where they went after _he_ was done with them, but I didn't dare ask. _He_ made sure I understood just how fortunate I was, not being forced as they had been.

When I did not clean something to _his_ specifications, I got a beating. When I did not move fast enough for _him_, I got a beating. If I did not act appreciative enough, I got a beating. If I spoke to anyone but _him, _I got a beating_. _ If I spoke when _he _did not want me to, I got a beating. For every made up offense, I got a beating. This continued for a long time before _he _decided to try something else.

I was cleaning the kitchen when _he_ cornered me against the counter. _He_ knew I could not escape. _He _pressed _his_ body against mine and gently ran a hand through my hair.

"I told you I was saving you for myself. However, seeing as it's your birthday, I have a little present for you." _He _pressed _his_ lips to mine, smug in the knowledge I could not get away from _him. _I don't know how _he_ knew it was my birthday, or if _he_ was just saying that it was to have an excuse to touch me. Pulling away from me, _he_ said, "Today you will do something new for me."

_He_ pulled me into an office with no windows. There was only a chair in the middle of the small room. Sitting in the chair was a young man, I guessed not much older than me, but definitely younger than _him_.

I was forced to my knees in front of the young man_. _"You will do as I tell you." I did not respond.

The young man undid his pants and I knew what _he _wanted. I may have been naïve enough for _him_ to kidnap me, but I was not so naïve now that I didn't know what _he _was after. I fought against _him. _I refused.

"Now, now," _he_ chided me. "Is that what you think of my gift to you? I told you that I will be the only one to touch you so as a birthday gift you get to learn how to pleasure me when that happens. You get to practice on this young man who has graciously volunteered to teach you. And I will watch to make sure that you learn well."

When I still refused, _he_ whipped me. I could feel the blood drip down my back, but I still refused. _He_ brought me to _his_ office once a month and still I refused, knowing what the punishment would be. The young man never lifted a hand to help me. In fact, he almost seemed amused at my refusal.

I wish I could say that I refused every time, that I was able to withstand _his_ strength. But I was subjected to increased beatings and even more restricted meals. I finally just had no energy or strength to fight them. One day the young man helped _him_ and they managed to force me and once that happened, I was forced to have a 'lesson' once a week, to make up for lost time, or so _he_ said.

The day I supposedly turned 18, _he_ wanted me to put what I'd learned to use. I refused. I'd had enough and I decided I wasn't going to let_ him_ win anymore. _He_ could have forced me, I suppose, but for some reason _he_ wanted me to attend to_ him_ willingly. So I decided _he _could just keep waiting. _H__e_ beat me. _He_ pulled me into _his_ office once a week for a year and beat me when I refused. For the last two months, it had been daily.

Until yesterday morning.

I had reason to be afraid. _He _had threatened to do something drastic if I did not submit. _He_ had yanked my arm behind my back harshly enough to hurt my shoulder in an attempt to make me submit. Then_ he_ strangled me, threatening to kill me with _his_ bare hands but even that did not work and _he_ let me go just before I passed out. Yesterday morning I was locked in my room after another whipping. I did not see _him_ all day. I was not given food and my fear kept me from sleeping. Finally, after all was dark and quiet, _he _came into my room. I was pulled from the bed by my hair and dragged across the floor, my back scraping along the carpet, opening my wounds and leaving a trail of blood from the fresh lashes I'd received only hours before.

_He_ jerked me to my feet and shoved me against the wall. "Scream for me." I could not. Maybe I wouldn't have anyway, but at that moment, I was physically incapable of making any noise. _He_ pulled me down the stairs to the room I had originally occupied. Throwing me inside _he_ said, "This is your last chance. Tomorrow you will not be so lucky."

I could only stare at _him_. _He _pulled a baseball bat from behind the door. "You asked for it."

I blacked out after ten minutes.

I woke to the sound of heavy breathing. It was mine. My right eye was swollen shut, but my left I cracked open. I was lying on the cot in torturous pain. There was no part of me that didn't hurt, but my left leg was pure agony. I saw _him_ sitting in the chair, watching me. I lamented again my inability to escape _him_.

_He_ smiled. "Good morning. Today we will try something new." _He _pulled my protesting body off the cot and dragged me to a room in a little used corridor of the house. _He_ was forced to drag me because I could not put any weight on my left leg. I hated cleaning down here because the lights did not work and there were rats and all manner of spiders. _He_ threw me into a corner. My back and head hit the wall and I sat there, dazed as _he_ loomed over me.

"I once said that I would break you first, but I'm tired of waiting. I will break you today." _He_ grabbed my sore leg and pulled me flat onto my back, my shirt pulled up in the process and my back grated on the cement beneath me. I bit back a scream. I would not give _him_ the pleasure of hearing it.

_He_ straddled my hips and leaned over me, _his_ eyes dark with lust. I could not escape _him_ now. I could not match _his_ strength and was in far too much pain. "Don't worry, my little one. You're of age now, so this won't hurt as much as it could."

I stared at _him_ in disbelief. _He_ couldn't be serious. _He_ chuckled as_ his _hands felt their way up and down my body, finally resting on the button of my jeans. "After all the trouble you've given me, I'm going to enjoy this." _He_ undid the button and eased down the zipper, slipping _his_ hand down my front and fondling me. "Oh yes, I will enjoy this." _He _started to tug down my pants. I struggled weakly, trying to make _him_ stop. That only made _him_ laugh. "You had your chance to cooperate and chose not to." _He_ laid on top of me, grinding _his_ hips into mine. I tried not to think of what I could feel as _his_ pants rubbed against me. Putting _his_ face close to mine _he_ said, "I once told you that you were mine. Unfortunately, I've had an offer for you that I just can't refuse. But he doesn't want someone inexperienced, so I still get to take you. It's too bad. This client goes through girls like water through a sieve. When he's done with you, you will _beg_ for me." _He_ knelt between my legs and started to undo _his_ pants. "Relax and it won't hurt as much."

My scream was drowned out by the house alarm going off. _He_ stopped unzipping _his_ pants and cursed. _He_ rose to _his_ feet and redid _his _pants. "I expect you to be here when I return. There will be no escape for you, do you understand?"

I watched _him_ leave and scrambled as quickly as I could manage to get my pants back up. I had no idea what was going on. The alarms had never been triggered before. I cowered in the corner, my leg hurt too much to make a run for it and _he_ would catch me if I tried.

I don't know how long I stayed there, frozen with fear. I was afraid to leave but afraid to stay. The alarm didn't last very long, so I expected _him_ back at any instant. I flinched when I heard footsteps and cringed at the voice.

"Quat! There's a body in here!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Eh, the other stories got updated today so I figured, why not? Enjoy.**

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I jerk awake. The leg of my jeans has been pushed up and someone is touching my sore leg. I kick out with my other leg and hear an oath as it makes contact.

"Quatre, hold her right leg still. I can't do this while she's flailing about."

I try to pull myself into a tight ball, but find that my sore leg isn't cooperating. I can't bend it at the knee anymore and stifle a cry of pain as I try.

"Shhhh…it's okay," the blonde's voice reaches me. "Your knee is dislocated, we're just trying to set it, but we can't unless you relax."

I can't relax. I don't know what will happen if I do. They say they want to help me, but I just don't know. I stay in my tense almost-ball, curled up as tightly as I can manage.

"Trowa, see if you can talk sense into this onna." The Chinese man's voice is angry and I tense up more. I'm sure he's going to be the one to beat me.

"Wufei, your tone is not helping," the green-eyed man's voice is soft. "Come on, now, we're just trying to help you." His voice is close to my ear and I shake my head. "Would it help if I let you hold onto me? You can squeeze my hand as tight as you need to."

I shake my head again, refusing to look up. I don't know what's happening but it isn't good and I'm afraid. _He_ said _he_ was going to do something drastic. I don't know if this is part of that or not yet. It is late, the tent is lit by a lantern. I can hear the propane burning.

"Oh for the love of—! Trowa, hold her. I don't care if she doesn't want you to; this needs to be set before she does any more damage to it."

I can feel hesitation coming from the green-eyed man, but I also feel arms begin to wrap around me. "I won't hurt you," he whispers. I feel him sit himself behind me and lean me against his chest. His arms are wrapped around me, holding me tight, and it hurts even though he said he wouldn't hurt me. I struggle against his grip but he doesn't let me go. I risk opening my eyes. The Chinese man is crouching by my sore leg. I want to kick him again to make him leave me alone, but the blonde man is holding my other leg down so I can't. I screw my eyes shut as the Chinese man picks up my leg and moves to put my knee back in place. I bite back a gasp mixed with a sob as the pain rips through me.

I start trembling and cannot stop. I want to fight against the three men holding me down, but I don't have the strength. I just want them to stop touching me. I fight against the sobs that try to escape my throat. I will not let them see me cry.

"Shhhh…it's okay." The whisper is soft against my ear and calming even though I still do not want to trust it. The Chinese man proceeds to immobilize my leg and the blonde lets my other leg go. It is only when the one with the green eyes moves from behind me and gently lays me down that I realize I've been digging my nails into his arm.

"Oh Allah, Trowa! What happened to you?" The blonde's voice is full of terror. I don't look up. I'm sure it's because I dug my nails into him.

"This blood isn't mine." For some reason that strikes me as funny. Silly man, of course it's his blood. I just clawed ten holes in his arm. I feel someone pull me onto my side, but I'm in too much pain to fight against it. The pain in my leg is superseding all other pain. "Oh my God. Wufei, get the kit." I realize that the sores on my back have broken open again. I have been whipped every day for the last two months and after my rough treatment in the last 24 hours, I can only imagine that my back looks like ground beef. Suddenly the situation isn't funny again.

I hear scissors snip through the thin fabric of my shirt and I cringe as it is pulled away from my raw flesh.

"Allah…" the blonde breathes out. "How could anyone do this?"

"Hold her still. This needs to be cleaned." The Chinese man sounds angry. I am afraid he will decide to hit me for letting my back get into such bad shape. I should know to take care of myself better…

I am on my stomach and the blonde holds my right shoulder while the green eyed one holds my left. My shoulder is once again part of the symphony of pain running through my body. I can feel something being wiped across my back and I tense, trying to pull away from the touch.

"Quit moving…it only makes it worse." I try to hold still, but I don't think I manage, given the amount of cursing I can hear. "Hold her tight, I need to put an antibiotic on this and it's probably going to sting." My back is slathered with the stinging antibiotic and I can't hold it back anymore.

I scream.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Since the last chapter was short and this one's short, I decided I would go ahead and post it. Enjoy.**

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"What the HELL are you doing to her?" My mind barely registers the braided man's voice. I am in such pain! I wish I could black out but for some reason, my mind is not obliging. "Ho-ly Shit. Heero needs to see this."

I am lying limply on my stomach. I could not move if I wanted to. I hurt too badly. Even breathing brings fresh stabs of pain through my body. For the first time, I _really_ want to die. It couldn't possibly be any more painful than this. I no longer try to hold back the tears that course down my face. I don't know how much they can see in the light of the lamp. It doesn't matter now if they see me as weak. They _know_ I cannot fight back.

"What's going on?" a new, deep voice demands. "Trowa, why is your shirt covered in blood?"

"It isn't mine, Heero. It's hers."

There is a curse. "What happened to her?"

"We don't know," the blonde answers. "But this explains why she didn't want us touching her."

"Did you document this, Wufei?"

"Of course," the Chinese man snaps. "Just tell me, Heero, did you really kill the bastard?"

"We're awaiting DNA confirmation that it really is him, but we're almost 100% positive."

"Good. Because if you hadn't I'd have to strangle him with my bare hands. This is reprehensible."

I'm not sure I heard him correctly through my pain. He's angry…at _him_? Does this mean that they aren't working for _him_? I don't want to get my hopes up. It could still be a trick.

"We can't extract her until morning. Will you be able to keep her pain under control until then?"

"Given the extent of her injuries, I doubt that we have anything that will keep her pain under control. However, I will do what I can."

"I wish Sally had been sent with us. This girl needs to be checked thoroughly but I highly doubt she'll let you do it."

"I know, Heero. I've already sent word ahead to Sally about her."

"Have you identified the girl?"

"No. The only sound she's made was that scream. Even when I set her leg, she didn't make a sound."

The new voice swears again. "See if you can get her to talk. We'll need to get her statement as soon as possible to prosecute the surviving members of the trafficking ring."

I hear the tent flap open followed by a zipper. I flinch as someone starts bandaging my back. It hurts, but not as much as the antibiotic did. Once they are finished with my back, I feel a blanket being placed over me. I lie there, begging my mind to fall into unconsciousness. There are murmurs around me as the men speak amongst themselves, but I am not listening. Somehow, their quiet voices lull me to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

I am warm. I am on my side. I try to roll to my back and find that something is keeping me from moving. I tense as I realize it isn't a some_thing_, but a some_one_. Tensing reminds me that my back is sore as hell and I am unable to suppress a hiss. The someone at my back shifts. I want to curl up, but I can't. I hurt too much.

"Shhhh…relax. It won't hurt as much."

I cannot place who the whisper belongs to, but the words trigger a memory of _him_ and I force myself into a tight ball, pain or no pain, my breathing erratic with fear. That was what he'd told me before trying to…

I hear the shifting of fabric near me and the tent is lit up with a flashlight.

"Hey, it's okay." The whisper becomes the soft voice of the one with the green eyes. "You're safe now. No one will hurt you but if you're not careful, you'll undo your bandages."

I can sense the concern in the voice, but I know concern can be faked. I stay curled up for a few minutes more, waiting for him to do something. When he doesn't, I allow myself to uncurl, but I stay tense. I almost wish I could see him. Having him behind my back is a little unnerving because I can't watch his actions.

"You can sleep. I promise you'll be safe." The quiet voice near my ear makes me jump. I roll on my stomach and try to push myself up. My shoulder resists and I can't bend my left knee, but I force myself to stand up. I'm short enough that my head doesn't quite hit the top of the tent. I wrap the blanket around my shoulders, remembering almost too late that my shirt is gone. I watch him sit up and adjust the flashlight, managing to keep from blinding me. His eyes flick to the other end of the tent, and I turn to see what he was looking at. There are two lumps on my other side and I realize it is two of the other men sleeping. I really don't want them to wake up.

It's cold and I start to shiver, though I'm not sure it's all from the cold. The green eyed man slips out of his sleeping bag. "Use my sleeping bag. It's warmer." He's on his knees close enough to me to touch my arm and I flinch at his touch, but he doesn't seem angry. He reaches out again and this time I don't flinch. He puts a small amount of pressure on my elbow, guiding me towards the bag.

"You'll be warmer inside the bag." My leg hurts and I can feel the warmth from the bag on my feet as I step into it. I sink down, careful not to jar my leg or my back and he zips up the side of the bag. He carefully fishes the blanket from around my shoulders and wraps himself up in it. I watch him warily as the warmth pulls at my subconscious. My eyelids are too heavy to keep open and I know he is still awake as I drift off.


	6. Chapter 6

I am shivering violently. How can I be so cold? I feel a hand on my forehead.

"She's burning up." The Chinese man's voice is quiet. I am too cold to focus on whether he is angry or not.

"Just how did she end up in your sleeping bag, Trowa?" The blonde sounds confused.

"I heard her wake up and she was cold, so I switched her."

There are no comments or arguments after the green eyed man's statement. I vaguely remember his insistence that I would be warmer in the sleeping bag. I shiver and wonder if he was lying to me.

I hear the tent flap open. "Has she talked yet?" It is the deep voice that I have no face for, but my eyelids are too heavy to open. Putting a face to that voice will just have to wait.

"No. And she's gotten worse. When can we leave?" The Chinese man cuts to the chase to the point of being blunt.

"We move out in an hour."

Something is muttered in Chinese. I am still shivering. Someone slips the blanket over the top of me.

"I need to check her back. Her shivering may have loosened some of her bandages."

"Are you sure that's a good idea right now, Wufei? Shouldn't we make sure she stays warm?"

"Those bandages are the only thing keeping her back from being rubbed raw right now Quatre. She'll need them to be secure for the trip back to base."

"How can we help?"

The Chinese man instructs them and they do as he says. I am so cold it is all I can focus on. I don't fight them when they take the blanket and undo the bag. I don't fight as they roll me onto my stomach. My teeth are chattering too hard to scream when the old bandages pull at my tender flesh as they remove them. I hiss and one of them gently brushes my hair from my face. I do not have the energy to flinch at his touch.

"Shhhh…we're almost done." It is the blonde.

They bandage my back again quickly and I feel the blanket pulled over me before being zipped into the sleeping bag. The blanket adds warmth and I finally manage to stop shivering so much. I drift again into darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Poke...poke...anyone out there? I guess since no one's complaining it must be okay. Super short chapter this time. Don't worry, they will eventually get longer and I'm trying to update the shorter chapters closer together. This fic is almost finished so once I get it done I'll be able to post regularly. Enjoy!**

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_His_ eyes come at me in the dark. I try to escape, but they chase me. I see a pinprick of light ahead and make my way toward it, my feet moving ever slower, but I am determined to make it. I am breathing heavily with the exertion. I know I cannot stop or _he_ will get me for sure.

I near the light and it registers that my eyes are open slightly. The light is coming from above me and I can see shadows moving around me. I struggle to move, but find that I cannot. Something is restraining me at the waist and shoulders. My legs are bound at the ankle and my hands at the wrists. I panic and start pulling against the shackles.

"Calm down, it's okay." I don't believe the blonde. If it was okay, I wouldn't be tied up. I strain harder against my bonds. "Stop! You'll hurt yourself."

I don't care. I don't even know for sure that he's talking to me. _He_ has invaded my mind again and _he_ is all I can see. I want away from _him_ and I pull hard enough that I can feel my wrists pulled raw and something wet is coating them. Maybe that will help them slip free.

"Wufei! Do something!" The blonde is pleading.

A hand holds my arm down and there is pain, not only from my shoulder, but something sharp pricks my arm. My mind grows fuzzy and I am once again in a silent darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yay, people are reading this and not just looking at it and running screaming in the other direction! Thanks so much for the reviews.**

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There are voices, but they're far away. I cannot hear the words, but I know that there is a female among many men. I don't know where I am, but I know if I don't get up soon, _he_ will be here and give me another beating. How can I be so tired? I thought I was getting better at cleaning the house without getting so worn down.

I force my eyes open and am unnerved because I am not anywhere I've ever been before. The ceiling is white and the lights are far too bright. I notice a soft beeping sound coming from my left. I turn my head and see several machines with tubes and wires coming out of them. I follow the path of one set of tubes and realize that it is an IV line going into my hand. I'm in a hospital? How did I get here?

I stare at my hand for a minute, trying to get anything to make sense and I notice that my wrist is bandaged. There is a line of red showing through the white gauze. I wonder what I did.

There is movement and I look up to see a woman with blonde hair that comes over her shoulders standing next to my bed. She has on a white lab coat and reads a clipboard. She looks down at me and smiles. I wish I could trust a smile.

"It's good to see you've woken up. My name is Dr. Po. What's your name?"

I stare at her. I don't know if it's safe to answer or if it's another test. If I don't say who I am then maybe _he_ won't find me again.

She watches me for a minute before saying, "It's okay. You can talk when you're ready." She proceeds to check the machines that I realize are _all _hooked into me one way or another. When she is done, she turns back to me. "You'll need to stay in bed for a couple of days. I'd rather not restrain you, but that's up to you. Stay in bed of your own accord and we won't use the straps, okay?"

I give her a tiny nod. Do I dare believe she's telling me the truth? Maybe she'll change her mind later. But maybe if I cooperate, I won't be punished as badly.

She smiles. "You're recovering just fine. If you need anything the call button is here," she shows me, "and the buttons to adjust the bed are here." She makes a few notes on the clipboard. "I'll be back to check on you in a few hours so just take it easy, okay?"

I don't respond, but I watch her leave. I have no idea how I got here. I rack my memories for anything. I was in the tent, then…I don't know where I was. I was having a bad dream, being chased by _him_ and I was tied down. The blonde was concerned I would hurt myself and then I…I think I was given a shot. I turn my gaze down my right arm, which is laying across my stomach, and notice the edges of a bandage peeking out from the crook of my elbow. I also see that I have another IV line in my right hand. I wonder vaguely why I would need two.

I am tired and decide to take Dr. Po's advice and rest. I turn my head to my right side and start as I see someone in a chair watching me. It is the man with the braid. He's wearing all black, which I think is different than what he was wearing before. It was hard to tell in the darkened corridor of the house. The other men I saw that night were wearing what looked like Preventers Uniforms, but I've never seen one in person before, so I can't be sure. He looks bored and slightly annoyed. I can only hope he doesn't entertain himself by hitting me…or worse.

"So you finally decided to join the land of the living, huh? Well, that'll make Quatre and Trowa happy, anyway. They've been pretty worried about you." He stops talking and stands up to stretch. "You've been in and out for three days. My name's Duo by the way. Just so you know you're under 'round the clock supervision at least until you give us your statement."

Statement? What does he mean?

My confusion must show because he continues. "We need to know how long you were there and what went on. It might be hard for you to talk about, but it'll help us get the baddies in jail, okay?"

I avert my eyes. I don't know if I can trust him enough to risk talking. _He_ insisted that I was only allowed to talk to _him_ and I will be in trouble if I talk to anyone else. Unless _he's_ really dead, I remind myself. But what if _he _isn't?

"Hey, you okay? You want me to get Sally?" I glance back at him and see concern on his features. Concern can be faked. "You're just…looking a little paler than usual is all." He's playing with his braid. "Do you even know _how_ to talk?"

I hesitate, but nod once. I know how to talk. I just…haven't for so long. _He_ didn't like it. I don't remember how long it's been since I talked. And what if this is just another test? _He_ had all sorts of people working for _him._

"Well that's good anyway. I'd hate to have to question you only to have you ignore me."

I'm not sure if that is supposed to be sarcastic or not.

"Hey, don't be so serious. I was trying to make you laugh." He seems a little down that he didn't manage it. I almost want to tell him that I'm sorry. Almost. "So, um…you don't feel like talking, I guess."

No crap, Columbo.

"Hey, don't worry about providing your statement right now. Sally says that you need to recover a bit before she'll let us interrogate you anyway so just do what she says and take it easy."

I think this one talks because he can't stand silence. I bet it annoys the others to no end and I wonder if that's why he got sentenced to watch me sleep. Now that I'm sort of awake, I kind of want to shove a pillow in his mouth and tell him to shut up. He's still talking, but I haven't been listening at all. I shut my eyes and he trails off.

"Okay, then."

I feel a little bit bad for not listening, but I'm tired and sore and quite frankly, I still don't know if I can trust him.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! So far this fic has 40 chapters, but it's not done yet. I still have a few chapters that need to be written. If you want a fic of mine that's finished, read Sandrock's Rhapsody. I've started working on the sequel for that one but I definitely want to finish this fic and New in Town before I get sucked into that one too deep.**

**Nony, this fic is a bit darker than Sandrock's Rhapsody and has more mature themes, but I try not to get too graphic. **

**This is a nice long chapter, so I'll probably wait a few days before posting the next one. Enjoy!**

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I guess pretending to sleep actually works because I wake up later. I have no idea what time it is, but I know my back is extremely itchy. And I can't scratch it. I wiggle on the bed, trying to scratch my itch but to no avail.

I stare at the ceiling, trying to come up with a way to scratch my back without breaking open my sores again. I don't think there's any way to manage it. I decide to screw it and scratch anyway, but when I go to move my right arm, I realize that my shoulder has been put in a brace and I cannot move it. I would scratch with the other hand, but the IV line would get in the way and I don't want to risk pulling it out. I have a feeling I would get yelled at or worse.

I vaguely wonder how I didn't know my shoulder was immobilized but in thinking about the last time I was awake, I remember that I hadn't tried to move at all. I want to sit up, so I feel around for the remote for the bed. I've just about given up finding it when it is placed in my hand. I look up to see the blonde smiling at me. Smiles can be deceptive.

"You look uncomfortable. This should help."

I nod, but I'm thinking that a back scratcher would be better. I play with the buttons until I am upright and comfortable. Well, as comfortable as I can manage with my right shoulder in a brace and my left knee wrapped tightly and the rest of my body covered in bruises. I feel a little self-conscious at having someone sit and watch me all day. I'm used to being under supervision, but at least when I was captive the supervision came in the form of video cameras. So if someone had to sit and watch me, at least I couldn't watch them do it.

"Duo said you woke up earlier. Are you feeling better now?"

I'm not sure I want to answer him. But then I realize that at this point I have nothing to lose. If they were going to kill me…or worse…they'd had more than ample opportunity. I nod.

"I'm glad. My name's Quatre. What's yours?"

I pointedly look away. I'm not ready to talk yet. I think I won't talk until I know without a shadow of a doubt that there's no way _he_ will be able to come after me. If _he_ even _thinks_ that I talked to anyone…I don't want to think about what that beating will be like.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

I feel bad. He hasn't done anything to me and I'm basically ignoring him. I turn back and give him a small smile, hoping he'll understand it isn't his fault. I really can't bring myself to trust him yet. I just don't want to end up on the bad end of one of _his_ little 'jokes.'

"I understand," he says with a smile. "I'll try to stick with yes or no questions so you don't have to talk, okay?"

_He _said I couldn't talk, not that I couldn't communicate. That's acceptable. I nod.

"Great. So are you hungry?"

I haven't really thought about being hungry. I haven't had a decent meal or felt full since _he_ took me. I don't know how to answer him. I attempt to shrug and instantly regret it as my shoulder screams at me.

He looks like he's thinking over my response. "You're not used to eating regularly are you?"

I shake my head slightly.

I cringe as his expression darkens. He's going to hit me, I just know it. "I'm sorry. Look, if you're hungry you can eat, okay? You don't have to wait for someone to offer." He snaps his fingers and rummages in a drawer in the table next to my bed, producing a pad of paper, a pen and a menu for the hospital cafeteria. "I know Sally will want you to eat foods that won't upset your stomach until you get used to eating again. I recommend soup and toast."

I watch him read through the menu, a thoughtful look on his face. "Looks like they have chicken noodle, clam chowder and tomato today. Do any of those sound good?"

Again, I'm not sure how to answer, so I just look at him. He hands me the pad and pen. "Do you know how to write?"

I nod hesitantly. I'm right handed but I can't really move my right arm.

He grins. "Why don't you write down which one you want and I'll get someone to bring it up, okay?"

I decide to attempt writing with my right hand. It hurts to move my arm enough to write so I grab the pen in my left hand and very messily write 'chicken.' I wrinkle my nose at the attempt, but he's looking over my writing and nods.

"Writing with your non-dominant hand will take some getting used to, but at least your writing is still legible. I have a hard time deciphering Duo's chicken scratch." He goes to the telephone and orders room service for both of us. I play with the pen a little, unsure what I should do all day. It isn't like I'm used to having time on my hands.

I'm relieved when there's a light knock and the door opens. It's Dr. Po.

Quatre hangs up the phone. "Hello, Sally."

"Hi, Quatre." She turns to me. "How are you feeling?"

I look down at my lap and remember the paper. I write out 'O.K.' and show it to her.

She grins. "Still not talking. But I suppose that's to be expected, given what you've been through. I assume they didn't want you to talk much."

I look down and shake my head. She puts her hand under my chin and lifts my face so I'm looking at her.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore. I promise I won't get mad at you."

I turn my head. I just don't know if I can trust her.

"It's okay. I understand that you don't trust me yet." I detect a little hurt in her voice, but I'm grateful that she at least says she understands. It makes me feel a little less guilty.

"We've ordered dinner. Would you care to stay and join us?" Quatre asks, and I'm glad he's trying to change the subject.

"You didn't order her anything too heavy did you?" Dr. Po sounds a little displeased and I instinctively cringe at the tone.

"No. Of course not. She picked chicken soup and I ordered her some crackers as well." Quatre's tone is easy, he's clearly not intimidated by the doctor like I am.

"Well, I can see you're in good hands." I take a chance and look up. She isn't angry at all. She smiles at me. "I've got you on a nutrient drip so you don't need to worry about getting all the food groups in right away. But I'm going to leave a list of foods you can eat so you don't upset your digestive tract right off. Based on your physical evaluation you haven't been eating regularly and you'll need to ease into heavy foods."

She consults her clipboard and looks at me again. "I need to ask you a few questions and I'll try to keep them yes or no, but there are some you'll have to write the responses to. There are no wrong answers and I want you to be honest, okay?"

I nod hesitantly, afraid of what she'll ask me.

"Do you know how old you are?"

I have a pretty good idea, but I'm not 100% sure. So I write '19?' and show it to her.

"You're not sure?"

I shake my head.

"Do you remember how old you were when you were picked up?"

I nod.

"Do you remember the approximate date or the year?"

I nod again.

"The current date is April 24th, 202. Does that help?"

I nod and cross off the question mark. I'm 19. It's been almost 5 years to the day. The thought makes me feel a little sad. I missed my sweet 16, learning to drive, my prom, graduation…everything my friends and I had planned to do together.

I start as Dr. Po's hand touches my shoulder. She's looking at me with concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You kind of spaced out there for a minute."

I nod, hoping she doesn't notice how glassy my eyes are. I blink a couple of times, focusing on my blanket and hope Quatre doesn't notice either.

"If you're sure you're okay…"

I nod again.

"How many different locations do you remember being in?"

'1'

"Can you tell me how long you were there?"

I write '5 yrs.'

Dr. Po looks at me incredulously. "That long?"

I nod.

"I'm sorry, but it's surprising because…do you realize how fortunate you are?"

Fortunate? Me? I look at her, confusion written all over my face.

"You were 14 when you were taken right? Most children who are taken into this type of human trafficking ring are sold almost immediately into the sex or slave trades. The longest I've heard of any of them staying within the confines of the original house is six months. And the fact that he didn't… It's just unbelievable."

I bite my lower lip and make a decision. It might be stupid of me, but if by some chance these people really want to help me, there are some things they need to know. I write '_he_ tried' and show it to her.

"Is that why he beat you?"

I nod. Well, it was one of the reasons _he_ beat me anyway. Maybe one day I'll be able to write well enough to give her the full list.

Quatre comes over and glances at the paper, wanting to fill in the blanks in this conversation I'm sure. He shakes his head and frowns. He walks out the door, leaving us alone.

"Okay, so let's get the personal questions out of the way while he's gone."

She explains how my examination revealed that I'm still a virgin and proceeds to ask me questions concerning my cycle, explaining that it will help her evaluate my health further. I find I have to write most of the answers. I'm glad when she moves on to another subject. I now know WAY more about the female anatomy than I ever had a desire to know. I guess I can cross OB/GYN off my career choice list.

"Do you remember where you were living when you were taken?"

I nod.

"Do you think your family would still be there?"

I don't know. My father's job had us move quite regularly. I write '?.'

"Well, how about you give me your address and your parents' names and I'll look into it."

I shake my head.

"You don't want them to know you're okay?"

I don't know if I can explain why I don't want them to know. _He_ threatened to kill them if I ever went back to them, so I'm sure _he's_ watching them. I write 'I don't want _him_ to find me.'

She reads what I wrote in confusion. "Who?"

'Perdu.'

"Is he the one that did this to you?"

I nod.

Dr. Po frowns. "I'll have Heero bring some pictures by and you can see if you can point him out. That name wasn't on any of our intel lists so I assume he used an alias with you in case you ever got away from him."

I nod. I had figured as much which is why I don't want anyone to know that I'm still alive. If _he's_ out there anywhere, _he'll_ come after me again and _he _won't care who _he_ hurts.

There's a knock and the door opens and Quatre enters, followed by one of the staff with our food.

Dr. Po smiles. "Great timing." She grabs the used pieces of paper and slips them into her pocket. "We'll talk again later. I don't want to wear you out."

Personally, I'm glad she's done grilling me for a while. Aside from not wanting to answer some of her questions, my hand is starting to cramp from writing. I awkwardly massage my hand as Quatre slides a tray over my lap. I'm starting to hate this shoulder brace.

He chuckles. "Sorry your hand is sore. I'll try to stick to yes or no questions and give you a break."

I look at the food on my tray. There's a bowl of soup, some crackers and a Styrofoam cup with a straw in it. I assume it is water. I take a sip and am surprised to find lemon-lime soda. It's been so long since I've had a soda.

"Is that okay? I can get you something else if you'd prefer."

I give him a small smile and take another drink. He grins and focuses on his own food for a minute. I concentrate on navigating my spoon between the bowl and my mouth. I'm a little shaky and not used to using my left hand to eat with. It's hot, which keeps me from scarfing it down, but very good. I might not get another meal like this for a long time and I want to eat as much as I can before they take it away, but it's too hot to eat that fast. I haven't had a hot meal since I was taken. All of my food was cold—most likely left over from whatever _he_ was eating for dinner. I can't eat very much. After only a few bites of soup and two crackers, I feel full. It's a strange feeling, but not unpleasant. I feel a little guilty for wasting food, especially when I don't know when I'll be given another meal, but I can't make myself eat any more.

"Did you get enough to eat?"

I nod.

Quatre takes my tray and sets it on the small table across the room, leaving the drink on the table next to the bed where I can reach it.

"Sally suggested having you eat several small meals a day rather than just two or three large ones, so we'll get you something else in a few hours if you want."

I'm not sure how I feel about that. Wasting food once a day might not be too bad, but several times a day? I know how it is to be hungry and there were days I would have downed that in a heartbeat, regardless of the consequences just because I wasn't sure when I would get another meal.

"Do you like to read?"

The question pulls me out of my thoughts and I nod. Books are okay, I guess.

"What about music? Do you like music?"

I nod.

"Movies?"

Again, I nod.

"What about sports? Do you like football?"

I shake my head.

"Soccer?"

Again, I shake my head.

"Baseball? Basketball?"

No and no.

"Well, maybe later I'll have you write out a list of stuff you'd like to read or watch or listen to, but I won't make you do it now. I know how boring it is to sit here and do nothing."

I duck my head. That's exactly what he's been doing since it became his 'turn' to watch me.

"I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is that I've had my share of hospital stays. So have the others, so we get it that you'll be bored with nothing to do."

Oh. I'm still not sure if he's telling the truth or just saying that to make me feel better. I look at him, trying to read him. I still don't know that I trust him, but so far he hasn't done or said anything that has hurt me intentionally.

He's finishing his meal, which was larger than mine to begin with and either doesn't notice or chooses not to acknowledge my scrutiny. He's wearing a uniform of sorts. It consists of black slacks and an olive green shirt. The first two buttons of the shirt are undone. I'm almost positive it's a Preventer uniform. He isn't really bad looking. If forced to admit it, I'd say he was cute. He seems a little familiar, too, but I can't exactly place why.

He finishes eating and grabs the remote to the television. "Why don't we see if there's anything good on for a bit and give you a rest from answering all these questions, eh?"

I'm okay with that. I settle on the pillows as he turns on the television. The news is on the first channel and they're talking about the Winner Corporation's new satellite acquisition. I haven't watched television or seen any bit of news since I was taken. I have a vague memory of hearing about the Winner Corporation's new CEO from my friend Courtney, who had a crush on him. Apparently he wasn't that much older than us when he took over after his father's death, just after that thing with the Kushrenada girl.

The news shows a picture of the CEO and Quatre quickly changes the channel. I look at him and he's blushing a little. I wasn't seeing things. This is Quatre Winner? Wouldn't Courtney just be green with envy if she knew? Actually, if she was here, I have no doubt that she'd jump him in the hall and try to rob him of his virtue. I sort of wonder why he's here, apparently working for the Preventers instead of in an office on L4. Maybe when I decide to talk again, I'll ask.

"See anything you want to watch?" He's been flipping through the channels. I haven't watched television for five years. I have no idea what shows are good anymore.

"Nothing? I guess we could always watch the hockey game." He's joking, but has inadvertently landed on a sport I like. He's surprised when I nod.

"You like hockey?"

I grin shyly and nod.

He chuckles. "Who'd've guessed?"

We watch the game for a while. He has no way of knowing, but the L.A. Kings are my team and they're currently trouncing the L1 Gunrunners. They're nearing the end of the third period when there's a knock and the door opens. It's Duo.

"Hey, Quat! Heero wants to talk to you for a minute." He walks over and looks at my uneaten food. "I can't believe you're making her eat this."

"It's not as bad as most hospital food." Quatre shrugs and gathers up the trays.

"Whatever you say, man. I just know that I'm not risking my taste buds on it." Duo plops in the chair and looks at me. "You talkin' yet?"

I shake my head. He turns to the television. "Aww come on! How could he miss that shot?"

I want to tell him it's because the Kings' Goalie is infinitely better than the Gunrunners' Left Wing, but I don't. I can tell he isn't happy that the Kings are winning, especially when he snatches up the remote.

"You're not really watchin' this are you?"

I nod. He seems surprised. "But the Gunrunners are losing. Don't tell me you like L.A.!"

I nod once.

"Man, I knew I should've let Trowa watch you until Quatre gets back." I'm still trying to watch the game, but he keeps jabbering on. "He doesn't care who wins as long as it _isn't_ the Gunrunners. I think he's never gotten over that bet he lost when they played against the Street Rats and they won with a lucky shot during sudden death overtime."

The Kings score again bringing the score up to 43 to 12. Duo rolls his eyes. "Man, this is embarrassing. You know the Kings are gonna win. You sure you wanna finish watchin' this bloodbath?"

I'm getting really tired again, so I don't answer him. I assume he'll change it as soon as I drift off anyway. I'm leaning back on my pillows and my eyelids droop. I'm out before I realize it.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you so much for the review, Damkie! And yes, I totally know what you mean! Shorter chapter today, but I'm hoping to get a longer one up Monday. Enjoy!**

* * *

The light is softer when I wake up. It's morning and the room lights are off, all light is coming from the window. I wonder how long I've slept this time. I turn to see who's watching me today and scream when I see _him_ sitting in the chair.

"HEY!" The yell does not come from _him_.

I jerk awake and sit up, breathing heavily and sweating. The room is darker, half of the lights have been turned off. It was all just a dream. I repeat this thought to myself a couple of times to slow my breathing. I lean back into the pillows and look up to see someone I don't know watching me.

"Are you okay?" It's the voice I didn't have a face for. He has dark, messy hair and I think his eyes are blue, but in this light it's hard to tell.

I nod, apprehensive because I don't know this man at all.

"Was it a nightmare?"

I nod again.

"I'll be right back." I watch him leave and he returns with Dr. Po. She smiles at me.

"I'm going to give you something so you can sleep a little better, okay?"

Ummmm…I'm not really sure how I feel about that. But I can't exactly tell her no, especially since she's already adjusting the knobs on one of the machines. I can feel my body relaxing and it clicks that one of my IVs is for pumping me full of drugs. I wonder which one she's giving me as the room grows fuzzy.


	11. Chapter 11

My mouth feels like it's full of cotton as I come around. I wonder how long I've been out this time. A shadow falls across me and I open my eyes partway.

"Here. Open your mouth."

I follow the order before I can think about it and a small piece of ice is placed inside. I suck on it until it is gone, grateful for the wetting it gives my mouth.

"Heero said Sally drugged you so you could sleep last night. I expect your mouth feels like you've been sucking on cotton balls."

I give the speaker a nod as I try to place which one this is. My brain wakes up a little bit and I recognize the voice of the green eyed man.

"Done with that one? Open up."

I obey and he gives me another piece of ice to suck on. My drug haze is starting to lift and I open my eyes a little more and turn my head to look at him.

He looks back at me, searching my eyes. "You're still feeling the effects, aren't you?"

I nod and shut my eyes as the movement makes the room spin a bit.

"Just relax, it should wear off soon."

I want to ask what time it is but my hands feel too heavy to write the question. I risk opening my eyes again and turn my head to look out the window. The blinds are drawn and I can't tell if it's day or night.

He follows my gaze and asks, "Would you like me to open the window?"

I'm not sure. Would it make any difference if I knew what time it was?

He gives me a scrutinizing look and says, "It's noon, if that's what you wanted to know."

I look at him and give him a small smile. He nods back to me and sits in the chair. He hands me the cup of ice and I shakily put another piece in my mouth. I'm not sure why my hand is shaking. I think it may be because of the drugs.

"Would you like something to eat?"

I think about it. Could I eat with the world spinning like this?

"It may help some of the effects to wear off faster," he continues.

Well, if it will make the world stop. I nod. He pulls out the cafeteria menu and glances at it. "Would you like soup again or something different?"

I don't know. I know Dr. Po said soup was fine. I notice he has a second piece of paper that he's consulting.

"Sally said it should be fine for you to have soup or you can have toast." He frowns. "There's not much of a selection for you, I'm afraid. The soup today is borsht, which I don't recommend. It's bad even by hospital food standards."

I don't know what I'm allowed to eat so I don't even bother to look for my paper and pen. He looks at me.

"Have you ever had rice pudding?"

I shake my head just enough so the room doesn't spin again.

"You might like it and it's on your list. Would you like toast?"

I nod. Toast is always good and it will give me something to eat if I don't like the rice pudding. He nods and places the order as I suck another piece of ice. I'm starting to get some moisture back in my mouth.

Silence reigns as we wait for the food to be brought. This one doesn't seem to mind the silence and he hasn't pressed me to answer any questions that aren't yes or no answers. He's wearing the same outfit as Quatre, right down to the top two buttons of his shirt being undone. This man, though, has a black tie very loosely hung around his neck. It gives him kind of a 'Devil May Care' look. He's not bad looking, either. I wonder if Courtney would think he was cute. She was kind of boy crazy, so I guess that she would. I sort of wonder where the paper and pen ended up. I don't want to really rely on them, but it might be nice to ask him his name since he hasn't supplied it as the others did.

I look down at my arms, noting that some of the older bruises have started to fade. It's kind of scary how much paler my skin looks next to the purple bruises. I look at my wrists and notice that someone changed the bandages as the ones now are spotlessly white. I wonder when they were changed, but figure it happened when I was drugged. I wonder if they did my back too, which isn't as itchy as it was. I suppose that means it's healing.

There's a knock on the door and a hospital orderly brings in a tray of food. The green eyed man takes it from him and makes sure the door is secure before coming over to me. He places the tray in front of me and I realize he's not eating as well. It makes me feel a little self-conscious.

I look at him and he reads the question on my mind. "I ordered food for myself, but it will take longer to make. I didn't want you to have to wait."

Oh. I bring a shaky spoonful of the pudding to my mouth, nearly dropping it. I really hope it's a side effect of the drugs and not a result of my beatings. I'd rather not have to deal with this forever.

"I'll tell Sally to lower your dosage next time," he says quietly as he steadies my hand for me. "I don't think she realized how badly it would affect you."

He continues to steady my hand so I can eat and I feel a little silly, but I know that I would have spilled most of it down my front without his help. I appreciate that he doesn't take over and try to feed me like a baby. That would have been downright humiliating.

There is another knock on the door and he waits until I've put down the spoon before moving to open it. I decide to attempt a piece of toast on my own and find that the shaking has lessened a little. The toast is lightly buttered and I am just happy that I can eat it without help.

The green eyed man returns to his seat with his own tray of food and eats, watching to see if I need any more help. It's weird having someone watch you eat. I'm glad that I can't eat much before I feel full.

I settle back on the pillows and wait. For what, I don't know, but I know he's still eating and I don't want to seem impatient for nothing to happen.

"Did you get enough to eat?"

I nod. He doesn't make a big deal over the fact that I ate less than half the small bowl of pudding and only half a piece of toast. I'm just not used to eating regularly. Two meals in two days is a definite luxury.

There's a light knock on the door and it opens before he can answer. Quatre's head pokes in.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

I follow his gaze and see that the green eyed man has risen and has a gun aimed at the door. I didn't even see him move. Remind me never to sneak up on him. He nods and sits back down, slipping his gun back to wherever he took it from. I don't really want to know where he keeps it. I'd rather I didn't know he had it at all. He resumes eating as Quatre comes in and shuts the door behind him.

"How are you feeling today?"

I don't answer. I know shrugging will hurt and it's not a yes or no question.

"She's doing better now than she was. The drugs are wearing off."

I am a little grateful and a little annoyed that he answered for me. How would he know?

Quatre notices the look on my face and chuckles. "You'll find that Trowa reads people very well. I think it's because he observes more than he talks."

There's a small chuckle from the eating man, but he doesn't comment. Quatre frowns and moves to the table near the bed. He pulls the pad of paper and pen out and hands them to me, moving the tray of uneaten food.

"I'll try to remind everyone to make sure have these in case there's something you want."

'Thank you,' I write.

He smiles at me. "You're welcome."

He pulls another chair over and sits next to the green eyed man. I wonder what it is that they want. I know it can't be exciting watching me do nothing. Quatre looks as if he wants to say something, but he hesitates.

'What?'

He reads my question. "It will keep until Trowa is done."

"I'm done," the green eyed man, 'Trowa' I mentally correct myself, says.

"Of course." Quatre seems a little tense. "Would you be feeling up to looking at some pictures? We need you to identify the man who took you."

I close my eyes. I don't want to, but if they can confirm that _he's_ dead, as I heard them claim, maybe I can move on and not be so scared. I nod and look up.

"Right," Quatre says quietly as he stands. He goes out the door and returns a moment later, followed by the man who was watching me last night. I remember the messy hair. He's also wearing the uniform, but his shirt is buttoned all the way and his tie is in place. He looks very professional despite the messy hair. I'm beginning to wonder if being attractive is a prerequisite to join the Preventers.

"My name is Heero. Are you willing to tell us yours yet?"

His gaze is piercing, but I shake my head. I will NOT talk until _he_ is dead. He grunts and I'm pretty sure he's annoyed. I look down. A hand lifts my chin and I find myself looking into Trowa's very green eye.

"You're not in trouble. Don't be afraid," he says quietly.

I give him a small nod and he moves back. Heero puts a large binder on my lap.

"Look through those pictures and see if you can identify any of them."

I open the book, apprehensive. The pictures are in plastic page protectors. I'm not sure I want to look at the face of my tormentor, but the need to know _he's_ dead outweighs my fear. I do not recognize anyone in the entire book. I close it and shake my head.

"Did you see very many people in the house?"

I shake my head. I knew the rooms were used by _his _clients because I had to clean them, but I never saw who was using them. I only saw _him_ and a handful of girls _he_ kept for only a few days before moving them. Even then, I really only knew the girls were there if I happened to hear them crying, which almost all of them did, or screaming, which most did. But there were a few I caught sight of from the upper windows as I was cleaning. They were usually fighting against _him_ as _he_ pulled them from or into the car. I never knew who they were, where they came from, or where _he_ took them. I asked once and_ he_ made sure that I never dared to again.

"You said his name was Perdu?"

I nod.

Heero's expression darkens. "Hidden."

"What?" I'm glad Quatre asks because I'm just as confused.

"That's what Perdu means. It means hidden, concealed or obscured. Since it doesn't match anyone on record, I assume it's an alias."

"Sally seemed to think so, too."

"Hn. I'll bring another book of pictures by later."

Quatre and Trowa exchange a look I can't read.

"Um, okay, Heero. Just…" Quatre doesn't seem to want to finish his sentence.

"I won't push her too hard." Heero looks annoyed. I feel bad that I didn't find _him _in their book. Then maybe Heero wouldn't be mad. I hope he doesn't decide to hit me to vent his frustration.

Quatre nods and grabs the book off my lap. He hands it to Heero, who immediately leaves.

"Sorry that didn't turn anything up. I suppose I shouldn't have hoped it would be so easy," Quatre says to me.

I grab the pen and paper and write out 'How many?'

Quatre looks and guesses, "How many…books?"

I nod.

"There are seven books of suspects we've identified with this trafficking ring. I hope it doesn't take going through all of them before your kidnapper can be identified. Everyone in the first six books is either dead or in custody. The seventh book is of suspects we have yet to apprehend, and it's much smaller than any of the other books. But don't worry about it right now. We only want you to identify him so that we can be sure we've caught him and charge him accordingly."

'_He _isn't dead?'

Quatre doesn't answer right away. "I'm sorry. He might not be. That first book was entirely suspects who have been…permanently removed either by the Preventers or by other members of the ring. However, there are some in the other books who have been similarly…disposed of. He may be one of those."

"But don't worry about it. You're safe now. We won't quit hunting him until he's been stopped." Quatre seems surprised that Trowa is trying to reassure me.

I lean back against the pillows, tired from the activity and realize that until they find _him_, I will be constantly stressed out. And if they never find _him_, I may never speak again. I wonder if I should give myself a time limit. Six months? A year? Two years? Five? I don't know. I guess I won't worry about it now. After all, they just told me that _he_ may still be dead. I suppose as long as _he's_ locked up, I might be okay to speak.

A hand brushes my bangs away from my face. "Try to get some rest and don't worry. We'll get him." Quatre gathers up our trays and takes them out with him.

Trowa turns on the television and flips through a few channels, pausing briefly on a hockey game. He goes through all the channels before settling on the game.

"Is this okay?"

I nod. It's a game between the L5 Dragons and the Sanq Peacekeepers. The Dragons are ahead by six goals. I drift off before the end of the game.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! **

* * *

I wake shivering. Someone is shaking me. It was the pain that woke me. I look up into Duo's concerned face.

"Sorry, but you were having a nightmare. I was afraid you'd hurt yourself again."

The room is only half lit as it was last night. I wonder how late it is.

"Do you want me to get Sally to give you something?"

I'm not sure. I really didn't like the drug hangover I ended up with earlier. I'd like to sleep without the nightmares, though. Maybe I can try again without the drugs and then use them as a last resort if that doesn't work. I shake my head and Duo shrugs.

"If that's what you want."

Something he said bothers me. I find my pen and paper; they were left on the bed instead of put away like last time. I write 'What do you mean, hurt myself again?'

He takes a little longer to decipher my writing than Quatre does.

"Um…well, your wrists. You had a nightmare when you were transported here and you pulled against the restraints so hard you cut your wrists pretty bad. Wufei ended up giving you a shot of something to make you stop."

I look at the bandages on my wrists. They're still white, which means they've stopped bleeding. Or else someone changed them again without my knowing. I hope it's the first one. I know that people cut their wrists to commit suicide and I don't want to die because I accidentally cut mine.

He's still talking. "I guess I was afraid you'd hurt your back again or something with the way you were thrashing around."

I think I'm glad I don't remember this nightmare. I nod to let him know the explanation is enough and settle myself back against the pillows.

"Hey, do you mind if I turn on the TV or something?"

I shake my head and wave my hand at the remote, hoping he understands that I don't care. The noise is actually kind of soothing.

He grins and pushes the power button, playing with the volume so it's not too loud. I watch as he flips through the channels, most of which are infomercials at this point in the night. He settles on a movie and I watch it as I wait for sleep to claim me again.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Happy Halloween! Here...have a nightmare. (And it's chapter 13, too...see what I did there?)**

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No. NO! NOOOooooo!

_He_ is looming above me in the darkness. "I told you that you will never escape me. I am coming for you. You are _mine_."

_He_ reaches for me, grabbing my leg and I kick at _him_, trying desperately to make _him_ let me go. _He _reaches for my arm and I punch at _him_. I feel my fist make contact but _he_ merely laughs at my vain attempt. I twist and try to fight_ him_ off. _He_ laughs at me, taunting.

"You cannot escape."

I fight harder as I feel my arms being pinned down. I scream.

"Hush now, you're safe. It's all right, calm down."

The quiet, insistent voice breaks through the darkness and I force my eyes open. They do not focus, but I recognize that I am in a dimly lit room. I go limp. I am on my left side, breathing heavily, unevenly. I feel an arm under my neck and shoulders that lifts me a little and I am gently turned onto my back.

"Don't be afraid, you're safe. He cannot get you," the quiet voice that broke into my nightmare is next to my ear. I can't force my eyes or my mind to focus enough to tell who it is. The arm lays me down against a soft pillow. I close my eyes. I am so tired.

I hear the words "adjust" and "not so much" from the quiet voice as everything goes fuzzy.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Happy Birthday, Nony! :D**

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I hurt everywhere.

I am aware of this long before I can force my eyes open. It is a dull ache, but I still hurt. Someone has adjusted my bed because I am flat on my back. I do not move or attempt to open my eyes. My mouth feels dry again and I have a vague memory of a nightmare and I link the two. I've been drugged again.

I think I will wait for a few minutes to let the drug wear off before I try to move. I cannot remember what my nightmare was about. I wonder if that is a result of the drug or just because I can't remember.

"Is she still out?"

"I think she's starting to come around. Give her a little bit."

I hear the voices and struggle to put faces and names to them.

"Hn. Let me know when she's cognizant."

"You're not going to push the books on her immediately are you, Heero?" The voice is disapproving.

"No, Quatre, I won't. As much as I'd like to, I won't. Satisfied?" He's annoyed.

"Heero, that's not fair. She can't handle it right now and you'll only make things worse if you try to push her. She still isn't talking. She may have been traumatized so much that she'll never talk again and all you can think about is your investigation!"

"My investigation will put the rat bastard that did this to her behind bars permanently. And we need to know as soon as possible if he's slipped through our fingers so we can hunt him down before he does this again. If he's smart he'll cover his tracks better and the next girl might not be found in time!"

There is silence for a minute. I am glad they don't know I'm listening. I don't want them to yell at me, too.

"I'm sorry, Heero. It was unfair of me to accuse you of putting the mission before everything else." Quatre's voice is no longer angry.

"You know as well as I do that three years ago that would still have been the case." Heero's voice is quiet, almost apologetic. "I don't blame you for thinking that with the way I've been acting lately."

"No, as your friend I should give you more credit than that. I should have realized that you were just trying to stop this atrocity from happening again."

"Quatre, stop apologizing. Just let me know when she's up. And Sally wants to talk to her today."

"Okay."

I hear the door open and close. I think I can make my eyes open a little bit now. The lights are off, but there is a soft light coming from the window.

"Good morning." Quatre is standing above me. "Would you like to sit up?"

I don't know. Last time the drugs made everything spin. I shake my head a little. I want to wait until my vision clears a little more.

Quatre slips the bed remote into my hand. "Here. You can sit up when you're ready."

I appreciate that he doesn't push me and lets me do things by myself.

"Heero said that Sally wants to see you today, as soon as you're up for it."

Sally? Oh, wait. He means Dr. Po. I remember hearing all of them call her 'Sally' at some point. I also remember Trowa saying that food would help the effects of the drug wear off faster. I decide that I should sit up and see if I can eat. I am not sure I am hungry, but if it makes this feeling go away faster, I'll try it.

Quatre watches as I adjust the bed. I feel around for the paper and pen, but don't find them. Quatre finds them in the drawer and gives them to me.

I write, "Water?" My handwriting is really bad this morning because my hand doesn't want to cooperate.

"I'm so sorry, I should have thought of that!" He grabs a Styrofoam cup from the side table and goes into the bathroom connected to my room. I hear the water running and he comes back. He starts to hand me the cup, but thinks better of it when he sees how badly I'm shaking.

"Let me help you. Trowa said the drugs make you shake and I'm sure you don't want another bath."

Another bath? When did I get a bath in the first place? I miss a lot when I'm drugged. He tips the cup and I am able to get a drink. The water is clean, not too cold and just what I needed. I put my hand up when I am done and he pulls the cup away.

"We should get some food in you as well. It will help." He pulls out the menu and scrutinizes it. "There aren't very many breakfast choices you can eat. What was it you ate yesterday?"

'Rice pudding and toast.'

"Would you like that again or something different? You can have hot cereal if you'd prefer."

I tap what I wrote before and he nods. "What kind of jam would you like for your toast?"

I didn't think of that yesterday. It was good plain. But I write 'strawberry' and he orders it for me. We wait in silence for a moment.

"You know, I feel bad not knowing your name." He's looking at me, reading my reaction. I look down. I thought I made it clear that I didn't want them to know my name. "Is there something we can call you, even if it isn't your real name?"

I think this over. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give them _something_ to call me.

"You could just give us your first name and not your last. That would be enough."

He has a point. My name isn't so original that it would be immediately linked with my last name. I hesitate because if my parents put out a missing person report, they could easily link me to it. They have the time frame, how old I was…and then I realize they could do that anyway. They know what I look like and all they'd have had to do was link the physical description with the time frame.

There is a knock. Quatre retrieves our trays from the orderly and we eat in silence. I start with the toast as I know I can manage to get it to my mouth without help, but nearly drop the knife as I put a bit of strawberry jam on it. I have forgotten just how yummy strawberry jam is. After a few bites of toast, my hand isn't shaking so much and I attempt a bite of the rice pudding. It is just as good as yesterday, and I find that I manage a little more than yesterday. I still don't finish it all, though.

"So what about your name?" He is still eating, but watching me closely. I wonder if he's been put up to this, he's certainly being persistent enough.

I shake my head.

He looks at me thoughtfully. "Is there a reason you don't want us to know?"

Sort of. It might not even be a good reason. I'm sure I'm just paranoid, but…

'I can't say.' I write.

"Why not?"

'Not safe.'

"What if I could guarantee you'd be safe?"

I look at him. 'Not possible.'

He seems surprised and a little sad. "You really don't trust us to keep you safe?"

I feel guilty because he seems so upset about it. I look down and consider how to answer him. I think I want to trust them, but…I just…

I look up as he wipes a tear from my cheek. I hadn't realized I was crying.

"It's okay. You don't have to trust us. I know it can't be easy for you to trust anyone, especially men, after what you've been put through. We don't take it personally. But please know that we really will do everything in our power to keep you safe, okay?"

I nod and wipe the tears from my face.

"Hey, it's okay. Are you done eating?"

I nod again and find a little more composure in thinking about something else.

"All right. Heero said that Sally wants to talk to you today. You let me know when you're in a mood to see her, okay?"

I lean back against the pillows and try to focus my thoughts so I'm not bawling when she comes in. That's all I'd need, for her to think that Quatre wasn't capable of talking to me without making me cry. He really is quite sweet and I would miss having him around. I know he's just here because of his job, but at least he seems to understand me and doesn't get upset when I won't talk.

He finishes his meal and gathers our trays. I look up.

"Would you like me to get Sally for you?"

Might as well get this over with. I nod.

He shoots me a grin. "Be right back."

He opens the door and beckons down the hall. He hands our trays off to someone and steps back, holding the door for Dr. Po and the Chinese man. All I remember about him is that he was angry. I press back against the pillows as he comes closer to the bed.

"Wufei, you're scaring her," Quatre says quietly.

The man stops coming towards me.

"Don't worry about him, dear. His bark is worse than his bite," Dr. Po says with a smile. "Oh, sit down, Wufei. You're starting to make _me_ nervous."

He sits stiffly with a glare at her. Dr. Po rolls her eyes. She checks the machines and makes some notes on her clipboard before turning to me.

"I think we're going to unhook you from some of these. You still need the nutrient drip until you can eat a wider variety of foods, but the other one can go. You don't react well to the drug cocktail we've been using for your nightmares so I think we should dump that altogether. I'll give you something else to help you sleep at night, to use when you think you need them, okay?"

I nod. I'm relieved that the fuzzy drug that makes me so shaky will no longer be used on me.

Dr. Po checks my shoulder. "This looks like it's healing nicely. Does it still hurt?"

I nod.

"A lot?"

I shake my head. It really is much better now.

"You can take the brace off to shower, but other than that you'll need to keep it on for a few more weeks. You let me know if it bothers you, okay?"

I nod.

Dr. Po lifts the blanket and checks my knee. "I think we can take this wrap off if you promise to take it easy for a while. If you think your knee can handle the weight you can get up and walk around the room a little bit. Which reminds me that I'll need to take your measurements and get you something else to wear. I can't imagine you being comfortable walking about with an open backed nightgown."

I blush. I would definitely _not_ be okay with that. She chuckles at me. "We'll take care of that a little later, okay?"

I nod.

"Why don't you just talk?" The Chinese man's question is blunt and his tone makes me cringe.

"Wufei! Leave her alone. She has her reasons," Quatre chides him.

"She's making me dizzy."

"Then wait in the hall."

I look down. They're mad and it's my fault.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you." His voice is quiet and no longer angry. I raise my eyes, but not my head. He looks sorry. I glance at Quatre and he gives me a small reassuring smile. I raise my head, but I'm still wary of him. He's volatile.

Dr. Po puts her hand under my chin and guides my face so I'm looking at her. "It's all right. I wouldn't let anyone in here if I thought they would ever hurt you. Wufei means well, he just doesn't always come across that way."

I nod. I understand what she's saying. He's still the one I would expect to hit me, but I remember what Quatre said about keeping me safe and I tell myself I don't need to be afraid as long as he's here.

"Right, now where were we? I was going to ask you if you got to finish school."

I shake my head.

"Hmmm…well, if you'd like we can arrange for you to study for your GED and get your diploma."

I hadn't given it any thought. But I like the idea so I nod. Wufei stands and holds a book out to me. I didn't notice he had it when he came in, but then, I was more focused on my fear than what he was carrying. I look at the book.

"You can take it. It won't bite."

I'm sure this is an attempt at humor, but I don't laugh. I reach out and take it. It's a GED Study Guide.

"I will be more than happy to assist you in your studies, provided you quit looking at me like I'm going to chew you up and spit you out."

I blush because I hadn't realized that's what I looked like. I think he takes it as an apology because he chuckles. "Sally has made sure that I know I can be difficult to get along with, but I will attempt to be more patient in the future."

I nod and decide it's okay to give him a small smile so he doesn't think I'm still afraid of him, even though I kind of am. I suppose if Quatre and Dr. Po think he won't hurt me, then maybe it's true.

"Well, since that's settled, why don't you boys leave us alone for a bit and I'll let you know when you can come back."

They oblige and Dr. Po sets to removing the wrap on my knee and unhooking the majority of the tubes.

"Okay, so I'm going to show you how to remove and replace the IV so you can get up and use the bathroom and shower for yourself, okay?"

The IV is set up so the needle is in my hand but there is an attachment that allows for my drip to be changed without having to stick me each time. Sally shows me how it works and I do it a few times to show her I can before she's satisfied. She removes my catheter, which I have to admit, I didn't realize was there until she did. Now I feel a little sore, which she warned me I would be, but it's one of those things that you don't realize feels uncomfortable until it isn't there anymore. Even with the mild pain, it feels pretty good to have it gone. And I'm really glad that she made them leave. I really wouldn't have been comfortable with an audience for that little procedure.

She helps me to my feet and steadies me. I'm pretty wobbly. I wonder if this was a good idea. Maybe I should just let her hook me up again rather than risk landing on my face.

"Don't worry, you'll get steadier as you go. And if you ever need help, just let us know. The boys won't let you fall."

I wonder why she calls them boys. Maybe it's because they're older than me so I think of them as men. I think she must be older than they are or maybe she knows them from when they were boys? I don't know.

She lets me lean on her and I take a few steps to test my knee. She was right about it getting steadier. I don't plan on running a marathon or anything, but I can at least hobble around a bit. She has me stand in the middle of the room and she checks my back and changes the bandages.

"Does it hurt when I touch it like this?"

Not so much. I shake my head.

"How about like this?"

I flinch.

"I'll take that as a yes. It may not feel like it, but your back is healing quite well. You'll have scars, but there's nothing I can do to fix it. I guess if you're really self-conscious about it you can look into plastic surgery later on. Okay, let's get you measured."

She pulls a measuring tape from her pocket and runs it around me, taking notes.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're too skinny. So I'm going to get you some clothes that are a little big because I expect you to fill out a bit, okay?"

I nod. I wonder if not eating stunted my growth a little because she's taller than I am. Maybe I was always going to be short. I guess I'll never know.

"Maybe I'll start having the boys order you a little junk food just to get some meat on your bones. I'm sure you could handle ice cream or a little chocolate right?"

Ice cream? Chocolate? I haven't had either in so long I'm not sure I remember what they taste like. I smile at her. It's still a half smile, but it's more than I've given so far and it's genuine. She smiles back at me.

"Okay, I think that's it for now. I'll be back in a bit with some clothes that won't flap when you walk." She winks at me. "Do you need to use the facilities before I let the boys back in?"

I decide that's a good idea and enjoy my newfound freedom. How sad is it that using a toilet makes me feel free? _He_ insisted that I ask permission and not only would _he_ escort me to the bathroom, but _he_ would wait outside and time me to make sure I wasn't playing around. I think I will ask to look through another book. I know that the only way I will truly be free is when _he_ is out of the picture.

I catch a glance of myself in the mirror and stop. My face is no longer swollen, but my cheek is still a fairly dark purple-black and my right eye is black. The bruises go down my neck and the greenish yellow hue of some of them says that they're healing, but I still look like someone beat the hell out of me. Oh wait…they did.

I make my way back to the bed and Dr. Po adjusts the height so I can climb in and out by myself. Once I'm settled, she makes sure I hook myself back up to the IV and then nods.

"All set? Great. I should be back in a few hours. Do you have a particular color that you like?"

I find the pen and paper. 'Not pink.'

She laughs. "I'll see what I can do."

Quatre comes in as she leaves. "Everything okay?"

I realize that (what was his name?) Wufei is not with him. I nod.

"Good. Are you feeling tired?"

I shake my head. I'm actually feeling pretty good. I guess regular meals and sleep work for me.

"Good. That must mean you're getting better. Would you like to watch television?"

I shake my head. He looks confused until I write, 'Can I see another book?'

"You want to look through another book of pictures?"

I nod.

"If you're sure you're okay with that I'll get Heero to bring you another one."

I nod again to let him know it's what I really want. He goes to the phone and dials. I'm glad that he's not going to leave me alone. It isn't like I enjoy having a babysitter, but after his little speech about wanting to keep me safe, it's reassuring to think that he's serious and his actions reflect that.

Quatre still turns on the television while we wait for Heero to come with another book. I don't really pay attention to the show. I'm a little preoccupied. What's going to happen when I'm released from the hospital? I mean, I guess I can go home, but if _he_ hasn't been caught yet…NO. I'm not going to think that. I'm going to check the books and find _him_ and then I will get my GED and maybe go to college and find a job and…I don't know, get a boyfriend? I wonder how my old friends are doing. Did Courtney make Head Cheerleader like she wanted? Was Tanya Homecoming Queen? Which one of them ended up kissing Mitch Granger first? Man…I missed so much. Do they even remember me?

"Hey, what's that look for?"

I swallow against the lump that formed in my throat and write 'Just thinking about my friends.'

Quatre turns off the television and moves the chair closer to the bed. "I'm sure they miss you just as much."

I don't know if I can write down what I'm feeling and come very close to breaking my 'no talking' rule when there's a knock on the door. Quatre gives my hand a squeeze and smiles at me before answering. Heero enters with two books under his arm. Quatre looks like he wants to say something, but Heero speaks first.

"I know you might not be up for it, but I thought it would be wise to go through the book of suspects we haven't apprehended yet. I thought it might put you at ease and if he's still out there, we can hunt him down sooner. The second book is in case you're feeling up to looking at more later."

I nod and take the first book. I'm nervous as I turn the pages. It's bigger than I thought it would be. What if _he's_ in here? But what if _he's_ not? What if they've caught _him_ and my refusal to talk is just silly? I get through the book and close it, shaking my head.

Heero almost looks relieved. "Then he's in custody somewhere. So the sooner you identify him, the sooner we can charge him."

"Heero, what did I say about not pushing her?" Quatre's voice is disapproving.

"She can go at her own pace," Heero says defensively. He takes the book from me and says, "Just let me know when you're ready for the next book."

He opens the door and Sally comes in.

"Hello, Heero. How are things?"

"Better than expected." He leaves it at that and exits, closing the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Sally wonders aloud.

"Heero had her look through the book of suspects we haven't apprehended yet and her kidnapper wasn't in there," Quatre supplies.

"Well, I take it that's good news." She smiles at me and lifts one of the shopping bags she brought with her. "Why don't we get you into something more comfortable?"

Quatre excuses himself, leaving us alone. I detach the IV and slide carefully off the bed and tentatively put weight on my knee. It holds and I take a few shaky steps towards Sally, keeping a hand on the bed for assurance.

"You'll get steadier the more you're up and about. Your muscles have been on bed rest and just need to be worked a little to get them up to speed." Sally closes the gap between us and empties the contents of her shopping bags onto the bed.

I'm a little surprised at how much she bought. She bought me three sets of pajama pants and tops, two pairs of jeans, five shirts, socks and underwear. I'm pleased that she didn't buy me anything with a hint of pink on it. She also brought me a hair brush and ties, a toothbrush, toothpaste and some shampoo and conditioner, pointing out that it's better than the stuff the hospital provides. She's also brought me a supply of girl products so I won't have to ask for them when it's time.

"I think until your back is better it would be better to 'go commando.' If you stick to the pajamas no one will expect you to wear a bra anyway. I just don't want the straps to be uncomfortable."

I reach across the bed and grab the pen and paper. I write, 'Thank you. You didn't have to get me so much.'

She laughs. "You're welcome. I have to admit, I had a lot of fun shopping for someone besides myself for once. Now why don't you try some of this on and make sure I got the right sizes, okay?"

She helps me out of the shoulder brace and the hospital gown. "Now, I'm going to show you how to put this back on, but the boys know how these work, so if you get stuck, they can help, okay?"

I'm beginning to wonder just how often they're in the hospital. Quatre told me they've all been in long enough to know how boring it is, Trowa and Duo talk about how bad the food is and now Sally tells me they know how a brace is supposed to be put on. Thinking about it, I remember that Wufei was the one that set my knee and bandaged my back initially, so I assume he's got training, but the others? I don't know. They were able to help, but none of them took the initiative to patch me up. Maybe hospital stays are part of being a Preventer, kind of like how asking if people want fries comes with working fast food.

Sally wants me to try on the jeans first and they're a little big. Not so much that they fall off, but Sally reminds me that she thinks I need to put on weight. This way I won't have to buy new clothes right away. I push the thought away that I'm going to have to figure out how to support myself. I pick up the green set of pajamas and slip them on. They're also a little big, but they're so _soft_. I don't remember the last time I had brand new pajamas.

"I'm glad you like them," Sally says, grinning at me running my hands over the soft cotton. She folds up the other clothes and puts them back in the bags. "I'll see if we can't find you a suitcase or duffel bag to keep this in. Why don't you try to get that brace on for yourself, just so you can get a feel for it?"

I fumble with it and Sally ends up taking pity on me and helping. "You'll get it with practice." She frowns at me. "I didn't get you any shoes. But I suppose they'll wait. It isn't like you'll be running around outside in the next couple of weeks." She hesitates. "I don't suppose you've given much thought as to where you'll go when you're better."

I have, but I don't have any prospects. I give her a little nod.

"You have? So what are your plans?"

'It depends.'

"On how the investigation goes?"

I nod.

"Well, why don't we just keep it on the back burner? You've got time to come up with a plan of action."

Yeah. Time doesn't fix the fact that I don't have any money or a job or an education. Hell, I don't even know if my parents are still living in that apartment. I guess I could always call Courtney and see if she remembers me. Maybe I could crash in her parent's pool house until I get stuff figured out.

I sit on the bed, carefully bringing my feet up to sit Indian style. I want to be careful not to dislocate my knee again. Sally stashes the bags of clothes under the bed and asks me if I need anything else. I shake my head.

"Well, in that case I'd better go make my rounds. I'll see you later."

She leaves and Quatre comes back. "I hadn't realized how late it's gotten. You must be getting hungry. What would you like to eat?" He hands me the cafeteria menu and the list of approved foods. I glance over them and make my selection: vegetable soup.

Quatre is about to pick up the phone when there is a knock on the door. He answers it to find Duo.

"Shift change," he announces cheerfully. Glancing at me he asks, "Cat still got your tongue?"

I childishly stick it out at him. He grins at me. "At least you've got a sense of humor today."

"I was just about to order her some food. Do you want anything?"

"Nope. I already ate. If I'd'a thought about it I would've brought you some edible food," he says, looking at me.

"Duo, don't bias her against the food here."

"Hey, I'm just lookin' out for her welfare. No sense killing her taste buds if it can be avoided." I wonder what he would say if he knew that this food is better than what I've been eating.

Quatre rolls his eyes and picks up the phone, placing the order.

"I have some things to attend to. If you need anything, just ask Duo. He'll get it for you."

I nod. I pick up the book Heero left. I figure I can look through it since I don't have anything else to do. Duo sits and flips on the television. I'm almost half way through this book when something on the television catches my ear.

I know that voice. I freeze and listen. Duo's watching the news. It's a story on the trafficking ring and the Preventer's raid on the house.

_"…unlawful entry and false accusations against my client."_

I look up at the television. It can't be. I detach the IV and slide off the bed in a trance, barely noticing the noise the book makes as it clatters to the floor.

_"Mr. Chase, are you saying the Preventers are overstepping their bounds?"_

_"I'm afraid so. I have been informed that they have a so-called witness that they think will be my client's downfall. My suspicion is that they have the girl he was renting the house to. Her parents are quite concerned about her. I have an appointment to meet with her tomorrow and I plan to get to the bottom of this."_

_He's_ coming tomorrow. _He_ knows where I am.

"HE-EY!" Duo's voice breaks through my stupor. "What the hell, kid?"

I can't answer. I point at the book and again at the man on the TV. He looks confused and his gaze shifts back and forth between the two as if watching a tennis match.

"That guy's the lawyer for the guys in the book. Now that you point it out, it seems odd he'd represent all those guys." He's quiet for a minute, as if piecing it together. "That's not what you're trying to tell me, is it?"

PLEASE tell me he isn't this dense. Where are Quatre and Trowa when I need someone who can understand what I'm saying at a glance? I pull my attention back to _him._

_"Mr. Chase your client has been accused of some very awful things. Is he truly capable of committing such atrocities?"_

_"Of course not. __No one__ is capable of such crimes against humanity. It's all propaganda designed to make the Preventers look competent."_

"What a crock," Duo says, lifting the remote. I move faster than I thought was possible and snatch it out of his hand. "Hey! What's got you so wound up?"

I point again at the man on the television.

"Okay, I get it, you're watchin' this."

I want to scream. Why doesn't he understand?

_"In fact, we have the girl's parents here with a plea that the Preventers release her from custody."_

I freeze as I watch my parents join _him_ at the microphone. Surely they'll beg for my return because I've been gone for so long. Even if they don't know that _he_ is responsible for my disappearance, they'll say how much they've missed me and how they never thought they'd get me back.

My father speaks. _"Please, Preventers, we just want our little girl back. This week without her has been an eternity to us."_

_"There you have it folks, a heartfelt plea from a grieving father…"_

A _week_?

WHAT.

THE.

HELL?

I don't believe this. They had the chance to say I've been gone for years and they say it's only been a week? I think Duo is saying something, but I can't understand his words. All I hear is the blood rushing through my veins. _He_ must be behind this. That's the only explanation. _He_ must have threatened them. But…my parents didn't look upset at all. They looked reserved, but not distraught. Not shell shocked at the news. If anything, they looked…annoyed. What is happening?

I feel my knees give out as the world crashes to pieces.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews!**

* * *

I do not hit the ground as I expect. Someone catches me. Somewhere in my head it registers that Duo didn't catch me because he doesn't wear the Preventers uniform. The arms wrap around me, tight enough to keep me from falling, but not so tight as to hurt my back.

"Hey, what's this?" Trowa's quiet voice is in my ear and it releases me from my shock. I have no idea where he came from and I don't care. I go limp in his arms. I bury my head into his chest as I burst into tears. I can't help it. It's too much. My parents are going along with _his_ lie and what's worse, the Preventers don't have _him. He's_ running around, free as a bird, acting completely innocent. I don't understand how everything could go so wrong.

"Trowa, what happened?" Quatre's voice sounds strained. Maybe I'm imagining that. Maybe it's just how it sounds over my sobs.

"I'm not sure."

"Can you calm her down? Please?" He's begging but I don't know why. I can't stop crying. Everything that I've let pile up has suddenly come crashing down and I wish it would bury me.

"Trowa…please…it hurts." Quatre's breathing is labored and seems to match my sobs. Maybe I just think that because I'm so lost in my tears.

"Duo, take Quatre out while I calm her down. See if you can tell him what brought this on."

The door opens and closes, but I still haven't looked up from Trowa's chest. I'm afraid if I do, it will all dissolve. Nothing else is real right now. But this…I can touch him and he's got his arms wrapped around me. I slowly wrap my good arm around him. He's warm and I know he's real. I focus on that, trying to find an anchor to keep from losing myself.

"Shhhh…it's okay." He lifts me up and sits on the bed, cradling me in his lap. He carefully runs a hand over my back in soothing circles. "Calm down, everything will be all right." His voice is quiet, not angry. He lets me cry all over his shirt, and I feel a little bad for making him so wet. When I finally get myself under control, he doesn't say anything. He just holds me as I sit limply on his lap, leaning against his chest, my breathing punctuated by sobs.

"Would you like to try and tell me what happened?" He asks after a minute. He lets go with one hand and I realize he's grabbing the paper and pen for me. At least he doesn't expect me to start talking all of a sudden.

I take the pen and paper, my hands shaking. I don't know how to explain it.

'Lawyer = Perdu' I finally manage. My handwriting is worse than usual because I'm shaking so bad.

"I don't understand. Can you give me a little more to go on?"

I'm racking my brain, trying to make it all make enough sense that I can explain it to him when the door opens and Heero bursts in.

"_You._" His voice is low, angry, and dangerous. He's glaring at me. "You've been working for _them_ the whole time haven't you?"

I freeze in shock. He's going to kill me. I can see it in his eyes.

"Oh, Heero, how can you even ask that?" Quatre's voice reaches us from the doorway. He sounds exhausted and incredulous.

"Did you watch the press conference? Her_ parents_ said she's only been gone a week. Funny how that's how long she's been here, isn't it?"

"Heero, she's not the one lying."

"What the hell makes you so sure?"

"I can _feel_ it, Heero."

"Quatre, she's playing on your empathy."

"She doesn't know about my empathy. No one told her. And the only people that know about it are in this room." From Trowa's lap, I can see that Quatre has shut the door and he is flanked by Duo and Wufei. Duo is watching Quatre as if he's afraid the blonde will suddenly collapse. Wufei seems to be watching Heero. He's tensed up as if ready to pounce.

Heero turns back to me. His eyes narrow. "They reported that you were going to school to be an actress. I have to say you were pretty convincing."

I stare at him, too shocked to cry or shake my head or react at all.

"Heero, you can't fake her injuries," Wufei says quietly.

"It's all part of the setup. And it explains why her parents never bothered with a missing persons report."

So that's why they keep trying to get me to tell them who I am. They can't match my description to anyone on the missing people lists. My gut turns cold and I feel like I need to throw up. I realize that my dinner never came and I'm glad. All I needed tonight was a full stomach to empty on the floor and this would be the perfect horrible evening.

"Heero, I told you. I could feel her all the way down at the cafeteria. She isn't faking this."

"You feel her guilt."

"I FEEL HER BETRAYAL!" I am not the only one surprised at Quatre's anger. How did he know? He takes a few deep breaths and closes his eyes. "Duo, what happened right before all of this?"

Duo clears his throat, obviously uncomfortable. "Well, uh, she was looking through that book that Heero left for her and I was looking for something on TV when I chanced across that press conference. I figured it was something I shouldn't ignore, so I watched it. Next thing I know, she's standing there, gaping at the TV. When I finally managed to get her attention, she pointed back and forth between the TV and the book. I have no idea what she was getting at. I figured it was upsetting her so I went to change it and she grabbed the remote. I don't know what it was exactly that set her off; just that she was trying to tell me something about the book and the TV."

"I didn't see the press conference, so this doesn't make any sense to me," Trowa says quietly. "But see if this makes any sense to you, Heero." He hands over what I wrote.

Heero snatches it and his eyes widen. "You're sure about this?"

I nod, trying valiantly not to give in to my tears. I'm sure he won't believe me. He already doesn't.

"Shit. We need to move her. Tonight."

"What's wrong, Heero?" Duo asks.

"Perdu is Donovan Chase, the lawyer hired to represent every single member of the trafficking ring. I thought there was something fishy about that. Colonel Une already okay'd him to visit here tomorrow to see for himself if she is who he claims she is."

No no no no no! _He_ can't come here. _He_ can't find me. I'm sure my eyes are as wide as saucers as I shake my head. I can't let _him_ see me…_he'll_ kill me…or something worse. I can feel the panic rising and can't stop myself from trembling.

Heero rakes a hand through his hair. "No one will believe us if we come right out and accuse him. Especially since he's got those people claiming she's only been gone since we took her last week." He eyes me carefully. "Those weren't really your parents, were they?"

I nod and instantly dissolve into tears again. Trowa wraps his arms around me again, holding me against my sobs and trying to calm me down again. How could they? There has to be a logical explanation for it. They were threatened or something. At least…that's what I keep telling myself.

"They'll need to be kept away from her as well. If they didn't care enough about her to even file a missing person report, they don't need to see her. Wufei, see if you can get Sally here while we figure out what to do. She'll need to weigh in on this."

I force myself under control again as the door shuts. Trowa sets me gently on the bed and I sit there, my arm curled around my knees and I stare at nothing. I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and turn my head. Trowa and Duo are supporting Quatre between them. Quatre's fist is clenched against his heart and it looks to me like he's having a heart attack. I watch and a wave of concern crashes over me. I don't really trust him, but he's been nothing but kind to me since they found me. And after backing me up, I really have no reason to think he will hurt me. At least, I hope he won't. They move him to the chair and he sits, rubbing his chest. He looks up at me.

"Thank you, for being concerned, but it's nothing. It will stop soon."

How did he do that again?

He chuckles. "I should explain how this works while we wait for Sally." He shifts in the chair, I assume to be more comfortable. "I'm an Empath. Do you know what empathy is? Explained simply, it's when you can feel what other people feel. As an Empath I feel more intensely what other people feel, especially when their emotions are running high, like yours have been. I don't know exactly what causes the emotion, but I can usually guess and it sometimes makes it seem like I'm reading your mind. Normally, I can only feel people who are close to me physically, or those that I've had a deeper connection with, like Trowa, Heero, Duo and Wufei. Your emotions tonight were so strong that I felt your anguish in another wing of the hospital. That's why Trowa and I happened to arrive just as you collapsed."

So when I feel bad, he feels bad? Now I feel bad. Oh wait. I can't feel bad if it'll make him feel bad.

"Don't worry about keeping your emotions in check around me. It helps for me to know what you're feeling, especially where you aren't talking. It's how I've been able to correctly guess what you need and also how I knew that touching you that first night hurt you."

Oh. So earlier he could really tell that I don't trust them. Didn't trust them. Am I really starting to trust them? He looks at me and cocks his head. He grins. That's a little creepy. He chuckles and I feel the heat rise to my cheeks.

"Now Quat, what did we say about using your powers for the dark side?" Duo asks in a tone that makes him sound like a mother talking to a three year old.

"You ruin all my fun, Duo. Besides, it isn't like she was feeling anything bad." He winks at me.

I am SO relieved that Wufei chooses that instant to come back with Sally in tow. Heero quits leaning against the wall.

"What happened?" Sally asks as she comes over to me. She frowns and grabs my chin, looking at me closely. "What have you been doing to make her cry?" She turns her fury on the five men in the room.

"Sally, we know who Perdu is," Heero says quietly.

"What!?"

"You've met Donovan Chase?"

"Yes, Colonel Une had me meet with him this morning to give approval for his visit tomorrow."

"Chase is Perdu."

"No!"

"Unfortunately, yes. And it was pure dumb luck that Duo happened to be watching that press conference tonight. Otherwise we would've found out tomorrow and I can only imagine how that would have gone over."

"Why does he always use the term 'dumb' when it comes to my luck?" Duo grumbles, but nobody bothers to answer him.

"He can't see her. I'll just tell Une that she took a turn for the worse and I don't know when she'll recover. We can fake her charts until he loses interest."

"It isn't that easy. Considering what she knows about him and the investment he's made with her already, I highly doubt he'd give up soon enough for your charts to be believable. She'd have to recover sometime and he'd still be waiting. However, I think you should go along with that ruse for a few days while we relocate her. It will give us a head start."

"Anything to help, Heero. Just let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it."

"I knew we could count on you, Sally. I think it would be wise to keep Une in the dark until she's relocated as well. It gives her plausible deniability."

"Nice, Heero. Use the lawyer's own terminology against him," Duo says, grinning.

"So where are you going to take her?" Sally asks.

I'd kind of like to know, too, seeing as it's my life and all that.

"We could take her to one of the safe houses," Quatre suggests. "Unfortunately, the Maganacs are spread a little thin right now so one of us would have to stay with her."

"The biggest downside to that is that as soon as one of us goes missing, everyone will know something's up. Is there someone else we could trust her with?"

"How about Howard?" Duo suggests.

"Not a good idea. Being stuck on a ship surrounded by unfamiliar men is not the best place for her," Wufei says with a frown. "What about your friend Hilde?"

Duo leans against the wall and crosses is arms over his chest. "Naw…she's too busy getting her scrap yard up and running. Besides, I don't trust her boyfriend. I keep telling her she needs to leave him, but she doesn't want to see him for the dick that he is." He doesn't sound sore about that at _all_. (Please note my sarcasm.)

"Okay, we're not putting her in that kind of a mess. What we need is someplace safe, with someone we can trust to keep her safe. Someplace they wouldn't think to look." Heero rubs the back of his neck as he thinks. "Relena's too high profile and I don't trust Dorothy as far as I can throw her."

"Cathy."

"Trowa, that's brilliant!" Quatre's expression falls. "Oh, but would she be able to take her?"

"She will if I ask."

"D'you think she'll be safe there? I mean, no offense, but your sister isn't really much of a fighter," Duo points out.

"You've obviously never seen her throw knives." Trowa sounds amused. Seriously, though. Knives? Yikes! "Besides, if she's with Cathy, the rest of the circus will protect her."

Circus? That's kind of cool. How many people get to honestly claim that they've run away with the circus? It would be something to cross off my bucket list.

"Call her, Trowa. Sally, I'll need you to set her up with any prescriptions she may need. I don't know how long we'll have to hide her."

"Say no more, Heero. I'll take care of it." She leaves quickly.

"Quatre, can you set up transportation? We'll need a couple of decoys as well."

"I'm on it."

"Duo and Wufei, you keep guard on this room. No one comes into this room except us. No exceptions."

They nod. Heero looks at me. "You make sure you're ready to go. We'll get you out of here as soon as we can."

I nod. I slide off the bed and make my way to the bathroom to gather my toothbrush and other toiletries. They certainly weren't there long. I pull the bags out from under my bed and make sure that everything is in them. I pick up Heero's book and place it on the table, which reminds me of the GED book. I start to hand it to Wufei, but he holds his hand up.

"Hold onto it. Don't think you're getting out of studying just because you're running away to the circus." I catch a small grin on his face and return one. I put the book in the bags with my other things.

I slip on some socks and attempt to brush my hair.

"Let me help you with that." Duo takes pity on me and pulls it up into a ponytail. How pathetic is it that a guy can do my hair but I can't? Stupid shoulder.

I sit on the edge of the bed and wait. There's nothing else for me to do. Everyone else seems busy with their tasks. I've heard people use the expression 'they work like a well-oiled machine' but I'd never seen it in action before tonight. They just work so well together. Everyone knows their job and they just…do it. It's kind of fun to watch.

"Don't you have shoes?" Heero asks with a frown.

I shake my head. I haven't worn shoes in a couple of years anyway, so I'm not sure I'd like them. He doesn't seem happy about that, but there's nothing I can do about it. Wufei and Duo have moved to stand outside the door in order to prevent unauthorized entry. Quatre comes back in and brings a tray of food with him.

"Sorry this took so long. I was going to bring it earlier, but then you were upset and it kind of got lost in the confusion," he explains.

I'm not sure I can eat it anymore. I take the tray, but I just look at it.

"Eat." Heero is giving me an order. I take a few bites of the soup, but I don't taste it.

Quatre sits next to me on the bed. He's finished with his task and is waiting for something else to do.

"You don't have to eat that if you don't want to." He slips something into my hand as he takes the tray from me. "You can always eat this later."

I look down to see a chocolate bar. I give him a small smile and slip the bar into one of my bags. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and I find myself leaning into him. With how surreal everything has been tonight, I just need the reassurance that _something_ is real.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of this. You'll like Trowa's sister. Believe it or not Trowa talks more now than he used to so she won't mind if you don't. I'm sure if you want her to she'll teach you how to throw knives. Trowa showed me the lions once, they're huge and you haven't seen anything until you see them react to him. It's amazing. It's almost like he's one of their own." He's talking quietly to me and I feel bad because I'm sure it's to head off my growing panic.

"Hey," he frowns at me. "What did I say about keeping your emotions in check? Don't you worry about that."

I nod, but I still feel guilty for making him feel bad. He chuckles. "You keep that up and you're going to be emotionally dizzy."

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks, but I grin at him. Now that I think about it, he's right. It's a vicious circle. I try to focus on what he's telling me about the circus, but it isn't working very well. I think we're both relieved when Sally comes back. She removes the IV needle from my hand, putting a band-aid over the puncture site.

"Okay, dear. Put this in with your things. This is a letter I want you to give Catherine. It'll fill her in a little on what you need and the schedule for the pills you'll need to take for a couple of weeks. There's also a recipe for a nutrient shake. You still need that to make up for the holes in your diet right now."

I take the orange pill bottles and the letter and slip them into my bag where I stashed the chocolate bar.

Heero goes to the door and beckons Wufei and Duo back inside the room.

"Okay, here's the plan. We take three vehicles and follow scramble pattern delta. Trowa, you'll take her to your sister. Wufei, you and Sally will stay here to keep up appearances. Quatre and Duo, you'll take vehicle one, I'll take vehicle three. It's 2100 hours now, the three of us will rendezvous at point F at 0100 hours. Any questions?"

Apparently they understand what he was talking about because they don't have any questions. I, on the other hand, am completely confused. But I guess that means I can't tell anyone later what they're doing tonight.

"All right. Move out."

Quatre gives my hand a squeeze. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."

He leaves with Duo and Trowa grabs my bags. I start to follow him, but stop. Won't someone see me leave? He turns and looks at me. "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

I shake my head. I haven't forgotten anything, but I don't know how to ask my question without the paper and pen. Just then, an announcement is made.

"Attention staff. This is a lockdown drill. Please proceed to your stations. In the event of an actual emergency this message will be followed with instructions. For now, please remain in your stations until the end of drill signal is given. Thank you."

"Get going," Heero says, practically shoving us out the door.

We slip through the empty hallways, my socks keeping my footsteps silent and Trowa moving silently even with shoes on. I follow him out a side door and down to a car parked just at the curb. Trowa puts the bags into the trunk and opens the front door for me. I slide in and do up my seatbelt. Trowa lets himself into the driver's seat.

"You should lie down. It will keep anyone from seeing you and it's late. You should try to sleep if you can. It'll take us several hours to get there."

The car isn't very wide and I find that laying down puts my head on his thigh. I think he can sense my hesitation because he gently rubs my shoulder and says, "You should sleep. Just relax, everything will be fine."

I put my head down, resigned to using his leg as a pillow and wait for sleep. At least it's a bench seat and not bucket seats with some sort of drink holder in the middle. That would be really uncomfortable. Of course, if it had bucket seats I could just lay the seat back and not have to feel weird about using him as a pillow. He doesn't move for a few minutes.

I look up at him and he says, "We're just waiting for a few minutes to stagger our departures. It would look really suspicious if all of us left at the same time."

Oh. Okay. I shiver a little and he starts the car, turning on the heater. He puts the car into drive and I let the rocking of the car lull me to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

I wake up suddenly with the realization that the car has stopped. Trowa is placing his jacket over me.

"We've stopped to gas up the car. Stay here, I'll just be a minute. I'm not leaving you, okay?"

I nod and snuggle into the warmth of his jacket. How is he always so warm? I think maybe my inner thermostat is broken. I always seem to be cold. He rejoins me in the car and we drive off. I don't fall asleep again, but I stay lying down because I don't want anyone to see me. It's still dark outside.

After a while, Trowa pulls off and parks. "Are you awake?"

I nod.

"Come on. I'm sure you need a break from the car as much as I do."

I sit up and it takes me a second to recognize that we're at a rest stop. There are a few semi-trucks parked in the far end of the lot, but ours is the only small vehicle. Trowa comes over to my door and he lifts me out.

"We'll have to get you some shoes. I don't want you to risk cutting your feet on any broken glass that might be out here."

He carries me into the building and hesitates momentarily before carrying me into the men's room. You've got to be kidding me. I can't go in there! I struggle in his grip and he must realize my reluctance to enter the men's bathroom because he says, "I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea to leave you by yourself right now. Don't worry, there shouldn't be anyone in there this late."

Then why not just use the women's bathroom? I still shut my eyes until he stops. I open my eyes and realize he's standing in front of a stall.

"I don't suppose you expect me to go so far as to join you in the stall?"

He's teasing me! In the middle of the night, he's teasing me about needing help to pee in a men's room in the middle of nowhere. He sets me down and I slap him lightly, rolling my eyes. I don't care, he deserves it. I go into the stall and lock the door before tending to business. His feet leave for a couple of minutes (I assume so he can do what he needs to) and then come back, turned away, so at least I can be sure he isn't peeking, even if he can hear everything. How embarrassing!

I finish up and walk out of the stall, heading to the sink to wash my hands. He follows closely. If there's no one in here, why is he so concerned about me getting more than a foot away from him? Once I'm done he scoops me up again and carries me to the car. After settling me in my seat, he moves around to the driver's side and starts up the car again.

"I think we're far enough away that you can sit up if you want. I haven't noticed anyone following us."

I'm okay with that, especially since my back is stiff. I wonder if Sally sent me any pain killers. I may need them by the time we get to wherever the circus is.

"Are you getting hungry?"

While normally I am immune to hunger pangs, eating regularly the last couple of days has spoiled me and I am feeling a little hungry. I nod, surprised. He gives me a small half-smile. "Good. We'll stop in the next town and I'll get you something."

He pulls into a fast food joint drive-thru and orders a burger and fries for himself and a milkshake for me. The girl who hands us our food takes one look at me and glares at Trowa. Since we technically only ordered one meal, she must think he's been beating me and starving me. I know I'm skinny enough for it to look that way. I feel bad because Trowa totally doesn't deserve that girl's erroneous judgment. (Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, I like big words. Deal with it.) He ignores her look and smiles at her as he pays. Her look is pure venom as she hands him his change. Yikes.

The burger and fries smell so good. That's just not fair! But I remember what Sally said about my stomach not handling heavier foods and settle for stealing a couple of his fries. He notices, but just grins at me. "Not too many, I don't want you sick, okay?"

Okay, I get it. But if he'd been on a basically liquid diet for a week after eating basically nothing but cold leftovers for four years, he'd steal a few greasy, salty, absolutely divinely hot French fries, too. Even though he only got me a small milkshake, I can't finish it. He smirks as he confiscates my abandoned shake and finishes it off. I roll my eyes. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have finished it if he thought I was going to.

We drive for a while and he takes an exit. After about half an hour he pulls onto a side road and drives for another hour. I glance at the clock and realize it's almost four in the morning. I'm starting to get tired.

"We'll be there in about twenty minutes. You doing okay?"

I nod and cover a yawn.

We pull into a large field and he parks near a trailer at the edge of a group of vehicles and trailers. He makes sure that I'm wrapped in his coat before he picks me up and carries me to the trailer. I'm glad for his coat because it's really cold out here at 4 a.m. He shifts me in his arms so he can knock and a light immediately goes on in the trailer. The door opens and we're greeted by a woman with curly auburn hair, wearing a pink robe.

"My God, Trowa, what happened?" She wears a look of horror and I am reminded for the second time tonight just how beat up I look.

"Cathy, relax. She's not as bad off as it looks."

He carries me inside and puts me on the couch. He immediately goes back outside and returns with my bags of clothes.

Cathy is looking at me closely. I duck my head under her scrutiny.

"Catherine, give her a break. We've been driving all night. Where do you want us to crash?"

"Your room is just how you left it. One of you can use that and I'll just pull out the couch for now. We'll worry about more permanent arrangements later."

"Fine."

I stand up and Trowa helps Cathy get the hide-a-bed pulled out. She moves to a closet in the small hallway and pulls out sheets and blankets. Between the two of them, the bed is made up in less than five minutes. I feel a little bad for not helping, but I'm so sluggish right now that I don't think I could have kept up with their quick movements if I'd tried.

"Will you be okay out here? I'm a little too tall to fit on the couch anymore."

I nod and curl up under the blankets.

"If you need anything I'll be in that room and Cathy will be in that one, okay?"

Again I nod and close my eyes. I'm so tired. I hear them speaking quietly as sleep overtakes me.


	17. Chapter 17

I'm so comfortable. I'm on my side and my back doesn't hurt for the moment. I haven't felt this relaxed in I don't know how long. I'm warm and I snuggle my head into the pillow. I could stay in bed for a week and not feel bad about it. Safe. That's the word for this. I feel safe for the first time in five years. I sigh with contentment.

"Good morning."

I start because Trowa's voice is right next to my ear, behind me. My face burns up as I realize he's on the pull out bed behind me and my pillow is his arm, quite close to his shoulder. How long has he been here? It wouldn't do for his sister to walk in and find us in bed together.

I sit up and pointedly refuse to look at him. I'm sure my face is fire engine red. The sun is streaming through the windows of the small trailer. I wonder what time it is.

"Sorry to frighten you. I thought you knew I was here considering that you wouldn't let go of me after that nightmare last night." He sits up next to me.

Nightmare? Oh yeah. I remember waking up screaming and Trowa trying to calm me down. I blush again as I remember clutching Trowa while I bawled my eyes out.

"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Says him. I've never woken up in bed with a boy before. Okay, so he's on top of the blankets and we're both wearing pajamas, but still! Is it normal for me to feel so refreshed just because he was in bed with me? Gah! I can't believe I'm wondering about this. He'll be gone soon enough and I'll have to deal with my nightmares alone for who knows how long. Sally said she'd make sure I had something to help me sleep at night, maybe I just need to remember to take something and it will be enough to ward off the nightmares.

"Cathy's going to be back soon. Why don't you jump in the shower and get dressed while I get the couch put back together?"

I nod and grab the bags of clothes off the table where Trowa set them last night. I have no idea which clothes are in which bag and I don't want to get caught in the bathroom with only a top or only the bottoms of the next pair of pajamas I decide to wear. I discard the bandages on my wrists, figuring that if they've stopped bleeding it should be okay to uncover them. I think they're going to scar permanently. Oh well. It'll go with the rest of me at this point, I guess. I get the brace off my shoulder and get ready to shower, intending to be quick. I remember as I slide my shirt off that my back is still bandaged.

Crap. I can't pull it off by myself and I'm sure it will need to be bandaged again once I'm done. I slip the shirt back on and open the door to the bathroom. Trowa has already cleaned up the couch bed and is nowhere to be seen. I move to the door he said was his and give it a tentative knock.

He opens the door, obviously in the middle of getting dressed as he's only wearing a pair of pants.

Oh…

My…

Oh my…

Oh, asking for his help just got a million times harder. I had no idea he was so…muscular. His clothes are certainly deceptive. Ummmmmm…shit! What was I going to ask?

"Did you need help with something?"

I nod and feel my cheeks start to burn. Holy cow he's so hot without his shirt on. I can't do this. Brilliant time for my hormones to decide to kick in.

Fortunately he misreads my blush and says, "It's your back, isn't it?"

Again, I nod, more grateful for the out than he could ever imagine.

"Oh…um well I can help you with it or you can wait for Cathy. She should be here any second."

At that moment the door opens and Cathy calls out, "I'm home! You two up yet?"

"Yeah, Cathy. Hey, can you help with something?"

She comes back and says, "Sure, what do you need?"

Trowa quickly explains about me needing help with the bandages on my back and asks if she can help me so I can shower.

"Of course. Come on, hon. Oh, and Trowa? Get dressed. The Manager's coming over in a bit and he wants to talk to you."

He disappears behind his door as I follow Cathy back to the bathroom. She's a little taller than I am, and again I wonder if it's because of my treatment the last few years or if I was always going to be short. I pull off my shirt and try not to flinch as she pulls off the bandages as carefully as she can.

The sharp intake of breath alerts me to the fact that she didn't really understand what she was getting into by helping me.

"Oh, sweetheart, what happened?"

I can't answer her. I turn to see a look of concern mingled with disbelief on her face. I bite my lower lip and shrug my good shoulder. I don't have my paper and pen so I can't really tell her and it seems Trowa hasn't filled her in on everything just yet.

"Well, you let me know when you're done and I'll help you bandage it up again, okay?"

I nod, grateful that she isn't going to press me for answers right now. I wait for her to leave me alone before turning my back to the mirror and twisting my head around to get a look at my back. It really does look like ground beef, but it isn't bleeding, so I guess that's good. I slip into the shower and quickly realize that having my back to the water is not a good idea. The pressure from the showerhead hits my sensitive back and makes it sting, so I quickly wash my hair and turn around to face the water while I get clean. I wish the soap would take away the bruises that cover my body. I don't blame the girl at the fast food joint for assuming Trowa beat me. I look like it.

Speaking of Trowa…YUM! Oh my goodness, is that image going to pop up every time I think his name? I hope not because I'm pretty sure it will make me blush uncontrollably and I won't be able to explain why…not that I'd want to. It's embarrassing enough as it is.

I finish in the shower, feeling completely free of dirt and grime for the first time in ages and towel off. I start to pull on a blue set of pajamas and realize that I have no way to let Cathy know I'm ready for her to help me with my back. I decide that the best solution is to slip on my shirt and go find her, rather than wait for someone to come looking for me. I dump my dirty clothes into one of the bags; I can sort it out later, and step out of the bathroom.

Trowa and Cathy are sitting at the table with an older man. He has dark hair that is just starting to get wisps of grey and a mustache. His eyes are a dark brown and they seem to laugh as he talks. Trowa is facing my direction and he motions to Cathy as he sees me.

Cathy looks at me and says, "Are you ready for me to help you?"

I nod. She excuses herself and takes me into her bedroom.

"There's more room in here than the bathroom. Do you have any ointment or anything I need to put on this before the bandages go on?"

I start to shake my head and suddenly remember the letter Sally gave me to give to Cathy. I search through the bag and give it to her.

She takes it and reads it quickly, frowning slightly as she does. I wonder what Sally wrote. Her expression changes abruptly and she is smiling at me.

"Well, let's get you patched up and go out to have a chat with Trowa. I want you to meet the Manager as well, since you'll be staying with me for a while and he likes to know what's going on." She starts bandaging my back but keeps up a stream of one-sided conversation. "The circus is like a big family and what affects one member affects everyone. I don't like the idea of leaving you in the trailer all day alone so maybe we can find an easy job for you to do until you're healed up a bit. Maybe you can help feed the animals or make popcorn or something. Would you like that?" She doesn't wait for me to answer. "You know, when Trowa started here his job was to stand there while I threw knives at him. You could do that if you'd prefer."

Is she serious? Why on Earth would anyone want someone else to throw knives at them?

"All done, dear."

I pull my shirt back on and fumble with my shoulder brace, managing to get it on before I follow her out to the table. The Manager gives me an appraising look, but it seems to be kindly meant. There is no anger or judgment in his eyes. I can see a little sorrow as his eyes trace the bruises on my face.

"Trowa," Cathy says as she sits, "I think you owe me an explanation." She waves me to the empty chair at the table and looks expectantly at Trowa.

"Don't make it sound like I intentionally didn't tell you what was going on. It was four in the morning and I'd been driving for seven hours. I couldn't put a coherent thought together and it wouldn't have made sense."

"Well, it's not four in the morning anymore. Tell me now."

Trowa hesitates. He looks at me. "Are you hungry?"

Oh yeah, I guess it has been a while since I ate anything. I nod and he makes himself busy at the stove. I sit there, unsure why I suddenly feel like a bug under a microscope. Trowa slides a mug of hot chocolate to me and turns back to the pan on the stove. A few minutes later he puts a bowl of hot cereal in front of me.

"Trowa quit stalling. What's going on?"

"Alright, Cathy." He looks at me. "If you don't want to hear this, you can go into the other room, okay?" I nod. "I mean it. If you feel uncomfortable at all you just get up and leave, okay?" Again, I nod. He gives me a piercing look until I decide to busy myself with my breakfast.

"I'm not sure where to start with this. For the past year the Preventers have been trying to break up a human trafficking ring. It started out with a lead to one organization but there have been so many twists in this case that thinking about it makes my head spin. About a month ago we got a lead on a potential base for one of the higher ups, a man called Decart. So we followed it and up until just over a week ago all our leads turned out to be dead ends.

"Then we got a break. One of them slipped up during an interrogation and we got the location we'd been looking for. When we got the go-ahead for the raid, it…didn't go quite as we thought it would."

I'm done eating by this point. I set the spoon down and fold my hands in my lap. Trowa takes the opportunity to clear my bowl. He seems to take an excruciatingly long time at the sink.

"Trowa?" Cathy prompts. The Manager hasn't said anything since I joined them, but he looks at Trowa with an odd expression.

"Shit, Catherine. Do you have any idea what we found? The attic was full of boxes and inside the boxes…"

What? What was inside the boxes that I had to move when I first got to that hell hole? He doesn't turn around, but his shoulders slump. Maybe I don't want to know.

I can see him take a couple of very deep breaths as he leans over the sink. "Pieces, Cathy. Pieces of girls. All sorted into different boxes by age and what piece it was, all in different states of decay. It was horrific. And the forensics team placed the girls between the ages of three and twenty-one."

"Oh, Trowa…" Cathy is appalled and so am I. "Who could do such a thing?"

I barely hear Cathy's question and if Trowa answers I definitely don't hear it. That…that could have happened to me…maybe that was the something drastic _he_ had planned for me. My breakfast churns in my stomach. I think I'm going to be sick. I dash from the table and barely make it to the toilet before my stomach violently rejects everything in it. Even once my stomach is empty I dry heave for several minutes before I can sit back against the wall. I draw my knees up and cry into my good arm.

It took me two weeks, working eight hours a day to move all the boxes in that attic. I wonder that my curiosity didn't make me look into them. I realize that that was probably what _he_ expected me to do. I also realize that had I known that was likely to be my fate, I would have cooperated with _him_ much more readily. What twist of fate kept me from looking? My friends used to tease me mercilessly with the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat" to which I would cheekily reply, "Curiosity was a pit-bull!"

A hand gently brushes my shoulder and I flinch. I slowly raise my head to see the Manager kneeling next to me. I have no idea how long I've been crying.

"There, there, petit, do not cry. You are safe here. Come now, dry your tears and come back out, yes?"

I find myself nodding. His voice is deep and very soothing and I allow him to help me to my feet. I take a minute to rinse out my mouth and wash my face. I wish my toothbrush wasn't in Cathy's room, but I suppose I can just brush my teeth later. His gentle hand on my shoulder guides me back to the table.

Trowa is seated at the table again, looking grim and Cathy is next to him, concern written over all her features. Trowa stands and crosses to me as soon as he sees me.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you stay. I should have insisted that you go watch TV or something. I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have assumed that you knew about the attic."

He thought I knew? I guess in a sense, I did know about the attic, but not exactly what was in it. He holds me at arm's length and looks into my eyes, as if trying to see what else I don't know about. He finally closes his eyes and lets me go.

"You don't have to sit here and listen to this. I don't think I'm telling them anything else you don't already know. You can go watch TV."

I shake my head. What could be worse than an attic full of body parts that I had to move around without knowing it?

He frowns at me. "You're sure? I don't want to add to your nightmares."

I get them anyway. What's one or two more? I shrug and sit at the table. My hot chocolate is still there, so I take a sip to clear the taste of bile from my mouth. It's lukewarm chocolate at this point, but it still settles my stomach and my nerves.

Trowa hesitates before sitting as well.

"So…um…anyway, I reported what I'd found and Heero sent me to find Duo and Quatre because they were supposed to search the lower levels and Heero wanted to know what they'd found. When I found them, Quatre was arguing with Wufei about her." He indicates me. "I…I thought you were dead, given what I'd found and the way you looked and how limp you were in his arms."

I vaguely remember these events as he's telling them. He tells about Wufei setting my knee and the discovery of my back and the nightmares and the trip to the hospital that resulted in my damaged wrists and almost everything that happened at the hospital. Everything that led to our flight to Cathy and the circus.

Catherine looks a little pale and the Manager has a frown. I sit there, looking down at the table. I'm sure they'll say that I can't stay here, it'll put everyone else at risk. I think I'm glad that Trowa didn't tell them everything that I revealed to Sally. But maybe he doesn't know. It's possible that Sally and Quatre didn't tell him.

"Trowa, did you read this letter that Sally sent to me?"

I look up. He shakes his head. "No. Did she say something I should know about?"

"Well, not really, it's just that she sent cash. I don't think we need it, will you take it back to her?"

"Hold onto it, Cathy. You'll need to pick her up some shoes and who knows what else."

"But—"

"Cathy, it's from a Preventer's account. Normally we'd have given you a card, but we didn't want to risk having it traced. You let me know if you need more and I'll get it to you."

Cathy rolls her eyes. "You're so stubborn sometimes Trowa."

Trowa smirks at her. "I learned it from you."

"You two quit squabbling or I'll assign you to the elephants again." The Manager shakes a finger at them. "Don't think you're too old, either."

"Speaking of the animals, how're those new tiger cubs working out?"

"Not bad, they're still a little young to be put into the ring but the training is going well. Come and I'll show them to you."

Trowa follows the Manager out and Cathy looks at me.

"Do you want to try and eat something else?"

My stomach has stopped rolling so I give her a small nod.

"Why don't we try Sally's nutrient shake recipe? I think we have everything for it."

I watch as Cathy blends together ice, yogurt, strawberries, bananas, milk, vanilla, and a few other ingredients. She sets a large glass of the shake in front of me and I just look at it. There's no way I can drink that much even if I wanted to.

"Oh, sorry, I guess you're not that hungry, are you?" She takes the shake and pours a bit into a smaller glass and sticks the rest into the freezer. I drink a little. It doesn't taste bad for something that's supposed to be overly healthy. Usually stuff like that tastes like cardboard.

Cathy slips a pad of paper and a pencil in front of me.

"Sally's note said you don't talk. You can write things down, can't you?"

I nod.

"Great. I need to know your shoe size and your favorite color and your favorite foods and if there's anything else you can think of that you need."

Ummm…okay. 'Don't know. Green. French Toast. A coat?'

"You don't know your shoe size?"

I shake my head.

"How can you not know?"

'I haven't worn shoes in over three years.'

Cathy stares at me. I knew I shouldn't have told her. Now she's going to pepper me with questions that I can't answer and feel bad for me and it's going to be totally uncomfortable to be in the same room with her.

"Well, then why don't you try on a pair of mine and we'll see how close the fit is?" I almost miss the change in her expression it happens so fast. Before I know it she has pulled me to her room and is rummaging through the shoes in her closet.

We find a pair that mostly fits, her feet are bigger than mine, but since they're tennis shoes we tie the laces tighter to keep them on my feet.

"You can borrow these until we can get into town tomorrow and get you some that fit, okay? Come on, I want to show you around a bit."

She grabs my hand and I follow her outside and she points out the various tents. She leads me behind the main tent to where the animals are kept. Trowa and the Manager are there, looking into a cage and speaking, but I don't catch what they're saying. Cathy takes me over to the horses and gives me a bag of oats to bribe them closer. She laughs as she guides my hand over their soft noses. I've never touched a horse before. They're a little intimidating up close, but they're friendly and rub their faces against my hand.

"Oh, Trowa, I needed to talk to you for a minute." I turn my head and see that the Manager is gone.

"What is it Cathy?" He turns and heads towards us.

"We'll be right back, dear. You take your time and get to know the horses. You'll probably get to help with them so it'll be good if you're comfortable around them."

I nod as she walks with Trowa a short distance away. I'm sure they're talking about me. Why else wouldn't they just talk right here? Oh well. Trowa already told her almost everything he knows about me and unless Sally told her something else, their conversation won't take very long.

I turn my attention back to the horses and have just gotten one to eat some oats out of my hand when someone grabs my shoulder and whips me around, making me drop the bag of oats.

"Just WHAT do you think you're doing?" a large, angry looking man demands. He has a thin mustache and beady black eyes.

I cower against the horse enclosure. I dart a look at where I saw Cathy and Trowa last and they aren't there. Why did they have to disappear just now?

"Well? Answer me!"

"Johnson! Leave her alone."

"But Manager, she's messing with the horses!"

"She has my permission to be here. You leave her be and get back to work. I'll discuss it with you later."

Johnson glares at me before turning and stalking off.

The Manager comes over to me. "Are you all right, petit?"

I nod warily.

"Don't be afraid. Johnson gets a little big for his britches sometimes. Why don't we find Cathy, yes?"

I allow him to put his hand on my shoulder and guide me around the edge of the tent and we see Trowa and Cathy having a discussion. Discussion might be the wrong word for it. She's talking, he's listening. I think I'd rather not go close enough to hear what they're saying, but the Manager urges me forward.

"…better nail him or I'll go after him myself! I can't believe anyone could do something like this! It's absolutely unforgivable!"

"Cathy, calm down. I know how you feel and we're doing everything we can."

"Don't tell me to calm down! What if that had been me?"

The Manager clears his throat. "Ahem. Sorry to interrupt."

They look at us. It's clear they hadn't seen us approach. I look down.

"What's wrong, hon?" Cathy asks, lifting my chin so I'm looking at her.

"She had a run-in with Johnson and I think he scared her. Don't worry, I'll deal with him. Cathy, maybe it's not a good idea to leave her to herself right off. At least until the others know she's supposed to be here, yes?"

"Of course, I'm so sorry, I didn't even think of that."

He looks down at me. "And you come to me if anyone gives you trouble, okay?"

I nod and he leaves.

"Johnson didn't hurt you did he?"

I shake my head. She gives me a stern look that could give Heero a run for his money. "You'd tell me if he did?"

I nod. Her expression softens. "Okay. Hey, I've got rehearsal soon. D'you want to come watch or go back to the trailer?"

Confession time. I've never been to the circus. Sure I've read about them and seen them in movies like Dumbo, but I've never actually been to a real live circus.

I give her a small smile and look at the tent.

"Great. Come on, Trowa, you can see the new act." She heads towards the tent and Trowa and I follow.

"Just so you know, I'm leaving first thing in the morning," he says to me as we walk. "I wanted you to know in case she forgets to tell you."

I nod. I'd wondered how long he was going to stay since Heero made the comment about it being suspicious if one of them went missing.

"Cathy's…well, she means well, but she's a bit forgetful and sometimes says things without thinking about them. Don't let her make you feel like you need to start talking. She'll probably talk just because you're there to listen, but she won't be offended if you don't talk back, okay?"

I nod again. We're inside the tent and he leads me to a row of seats near the front. Not the front row, but three rows back. There is already an act in progress. The seats are simple benches with no backs on them, but they're on risers so that those in the back can see over people in the front. Trowa lounges back, putting his feet up on the benches in front of us and leaning on the benches behind us as we watch. I kind of want to lean back, but I think I'm too short to reach the bench behind us and my back would probably kill me if I did. I settle for putting my feet on the bench in front of us.

The acts are amazing, at least to me. I can't tell if Trowa agrees or not because he just looks bored. But then, he's probably seen these acts a million times. Hell, he's probably performed most of them if what Quatre told me is true. Cathy does an act on the high wire. I'm impressed. I think I'd pass out if I was that high off the ground with nothing but a flimsy rope under my feet and an equally flimsy looking net under me.

After getting her notes from the stage manager, Cathy joins us and asks if I liked it. I nod. We head back to the trailer and Cathy and Trowa make dinner. I don't know how to help so I sit at the table and watch. Sally defrosts a bit of the nutrient shake but also hands me a small plate of macaroni and cheese.

"Sally's letter said you can start to add heavier foods into your diet. I'll trust you to decide how much you can safely eat." Cathy winks at me.

I'm glad that she, like Trowa and Quatre, doesn't baby me. I eat but by the time the meal is done, I'm fighting off a yawn.

"Trowa, go set up the couch for her, I'll get the dishes."

Trowa moves into the other room to do as Cathy says and I try to help with the dishes.

"No, don't worry about these, I've got them." I feel bad for not helping at all since I've been here. Maybe once Trowa is gone she'll let me help. "Before you go to bed, Sally's letter suggested using a sleep aid to keep you from having nightmares. Maybe you should try one tonight. If it doesn't work then Trowa can talk to Sally when he goes back and she can suggest something else."

That makes sense. I nod and go through the orange bottles in my bag until I find the right one. I read the instructions, no point in poisoning myself on top of everything else. I'm glad that the search for the bottle kept Cathy and Trowa from looking at me too closely because the thought that I need to find a way to sleep without Trowa set my face on fire. Between waking up in bed with him and seeing him half naked I'm a little relieved he'll be gone, if only so I don't have to fight a blush every time I see him. Stupid hormones.

I take the pill and settle down on the bed. I barely register Cathy and Trowa telling me goodnight and I'm out.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I have to admit that I am taking liberties with Cathy's trailer. I assume since she's living out of it, it would be larger than a normal camp trailer and I also assume it has room enough for Trowa to have his own space. I think in the series the only room it really shows in her trailer is the one Heero is recuperating in, so, yeah. I'm definitely taking liberties with it. I guess I imagine the "front door" being in the small kitchen area, with a partial wall separating it from the small 'living room' and from there there are two smallish bedrooms and a bathroom. So, smaller than a single-wide trailer park trailer, but bigger than one you'd haul into the mountains to camp in. :)**

**And as far as the idea for pieces of girls...I'm not sure where it came from. O_o It popped into my head as I was writing and I went with it. I do that a lot so I'm never 100% sure what I'm going to write. **

* * *

I wake up to the sound of Cathy in the kitchen. I pull myself off the bed and make my way to where she is.

She turns with a smile. "Morning, sleepyhead. Want some breakfast?"

I nod and sit at the table. Cathy gives me some more of the nutrient shake. I swallow a bit, grateful for it because my mouth is dry. Not as dry as the drugs at the hospital made it, but I think it may have something to do with the sleep aid. Maybe I just don't react well to any drugs.

Cathy slides a plate of French toast dusted with powdered sugar in front of me. "Eat up, we've got a big day of shopping ahead of us," she says with a smile.

I grin back at her and manage to eat a slice and a half. I'm a bit concerned that I might have pushed it a little, but French toast is my favorite and it tasted so yummy I couldn't help myself. Cathy won't let me help with the dishes again. That's a little annoying. I want to help and she won't let me. She's been so kind.

The thought makes me freeze. _He_ was kind sometimes, too. No, I tell myself. No. Cathy isn't like that. Trowa isn't like that. The Manager isn't like that. If any of them were going to do something, they would have done it by now. I force myself to deny the negative thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider these people friends, but they're not out to hurt me.

"So, do you have something other than pajamas to wear? I can let you borrow something if you need to." She looks up from drying a plate and I shake my head and go into the living room to find the clothes Sally bought for me. I hear Cathy's footsteps behind me and turn around with the bag of clothes in my hand.

"Oh, of course. Did you want to shower this morning?" I nod and Cathy moves to help me with my back. "You know, I think this looks better today than it did yesterday. Let me know when you're ready for my help again."

I nod and head into the bathroom. I check my back in the mirror. Doesn't look any different to me. The water still stings, but maybe not as much as yesterday. I hurry to get clean and dress in the too large jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. I kind of wish Sally had gotten me long sleeved shirts because my arms are still really bruised. My face is, too, but…I sigh. I'm just going to have to deal with this until it goes away.

I find Cathy in her room, pulling up her hair. She helps me with my back and I decide that if I'm going out in public, I'm going to wear a bra today. Not that I can't get away with going commando, I'm barely a B (okay, more like an A and a half), but I just don't feel completely dressed without underwear. The straps are a little uncomfortable on my back and shoulder, but I'll deal with it. Maybe it won't be so bad once I've had it on for a while. I struggle with the brace but manage to get it in place.

Cathy helps me pull my hair into a ponytail and then looks me over, frowning slightly. "You're going to get a lot of looks today. Do you want to put this off?"

Wow, she's giving me the chance to hide. But then I think: what if I have to run off in the middle of the night again? Not that I'm planning to, of course. I kind of want shoes, just in case. Besides Cathy's shoes are just too big and they hurt my feet to walk in.

I shake my head. Besides, it might be nice to go shopping since I haven't been able to for five years. I snatch the paper and pen in case she asks me something that isn't yes or no and we leave. Cathy turns on the radio as she drives. I don't recognize any of the songs. That sucks. Normally I'd be singing my head off whether I was on key or not.

Normally. What the hell does that mean to me now? My normal for the last five years has been a nightmare of orders and beatings and attempted rape. I shiver. Once _he's_ out of the picture for good, I can attempt something that resembles normal. For now I have to be on my guard. I make myself so paranoid that as we pull into the parking lot of the strip mall, I wonder if I should have chosen to stay at the trailer.

The strip mall is small and somewhat rundown. The town it's located in is not large and has an 'old-time Main Street' feel to it. I kind of wonder if everybody knows everybody…which means that I will stick out like a (literally) sore thumb. Oh, why did I ever think going shopping was a good idea?

Cathy parks and turns off the car. "You sure you want to do this today?"

I look at her. She's concerned. I flip down the sun shade and check my face in the mirror. Yup, still look like someone beat the hell out of me. But I guess since that's what happened I should just own it. I can't hide forever. Wow, where did that burst of confidence come from? Might as well go with it.

I nod to her and unbuckle my seatbelt. She smiles at me and we get out of the car. She slides her arm around my shoulders and we wander into the mall. We stop at the mall directory and Cathy takes note of which shoe stores are available and asks me about some other stores she'd like to visit and was there anywhere else I'd like to go. I shrug. I've always been more of an impulse-buying window shopper. If something catches my eye, I'll just get her attention.

Cathy sticks right next to me as we head towards a shoe store. I try not to notice the stares I get, but when moms are scolding their children not to stare, it's a little hard. We pass a shop and I notice a hoodie in the window. It's a simple black hoodie, but the back has a pattern of wings on it that's only visible in the right light. It's pretty sweet.

"You don't have a jacket, either, do you?" Cathy asks.

I shake my head.

She smiles and grabs my arm, pulling me into the store. "Come on. You need one so it might as well be one you like."

She pulls a hoodie off the rack and has me try it on. The sleeves go almost down to my knees. "Hmm….maybe that's a little too big. Try this one."

We find one that's a little closer to my size, but still a size up. "Sally said to get you some clothes that are a little big," Cathy explains to me.

I happen to notice the price tag and start to put the hoodie back.

"What are you doing? You like that one, don't you?"

I nod. "So get it." I point out the price tag and shake my head. "Don't worry about that. The Preventers can afford it." She snatches the hoodie from me and starts wandering around the rest of the store, asking if there's anything else I want. I find a couple of long sleeved t-shirts and we get those, too. Cathy pays for them and asks the clerk if I can wear one of the shirts out of the store. The clerk takes one dubious look at me and agrees. I slip into the changing room and put on one of the long-sleeved shirts. It won't cover the bruises on my face, but at least my arms are hidden. I'm getting better with this stupid shoulder brace. It doesn't take near as long to do up this time.

I come out and hear Cathy telling the clerk some wild story about how I survived a car accident or something and the clerk smiles at me. "Feel better soon," she says cheerfully as we leave. I roll my eyes and glare at Cathy once we're out of the store.

"What? Did you want me to let her think your boyfriend beat you?"

Well…no. I guess that would be worse. And with the shoulder brace I guess a car accident is as plausible a story as any.

We find our way to several shoe stores before I find a pair of shoes that I like and that are comfortable. After not wearing shoes for so long they have to be comfortable or I know I won't bother to wear them. We stop at a few stores that Cathy wants to go in as well and she buys some new earrings and bracelets. We stop at a makeup counter and she grabs a couple of test strips, holding them against a small patch of unbruised skin to find a foundation match.

"I bet we could cover most of these. They're starting to fade anyway and I'm sure you could use some makeup to wear when you feel like it, right?"

Wow. Makeup? Mom always said I couldn't wear it until I was 16. My gut drops at the thought. My parents don't care what happens to me. So screw whatever rules they might have had. I'm getting makeup, even though technically since I'm 19 I'm not breaking her rule. Oh well. I want makeup anyway.

Cathy helps me pick out a few shades that go well with my skin tone and we get a couple of eye shadows, eye liner, lipstick, lip liner and blush. I'm sure Cathy will show me how to use each one later because I really don't want to look like a hooker or a clown. Although, if I did end up looking like a clown maybe I'd fit in better at the circus.

"I'm hungry. Let's hit the food court."

The food court has a wide variety of choices for how small the mall is. Cathy lets me choose what I want and after a few minutes, I decide on pizza. The last time I had a hot slice of pizza was at a sleepover with Tanya and Courtney, the weekend before I was taken. The food court's pizza is greasy, New York style and the slices are huge. I end up cutting mine in half and I still can't finish. The rest of my pizza goes into a container to take back with us.

"All right. Anything else you can think of that we need?"

I shake my head.

"Well, we have time so would you like to go to a movie?"

A movie? In a theater? With popcorn? I pull out the paper and write, 'Is there anything good playing?'

"Well, there's a movie I've been wanting to see. It's a romantic comedy about a guy who likes a girl but she likes someone else and the someone else she likes has a crush on him and…oh I guess it'll make sense in the context of the show. Do you want to go?"

That might be a fun movie, so I nod. The theater in the mall is playing the movie so we cart our purchases into the theater and settle in. Cathy tells me to stay put and she leaves me. I'm not sure I like that. It's a theater and there are other people, but the trailers are playing so it's a little dark. What if she forgets where we're sitting and can't find me? What if someone realizes who I am and takes me again? What if…she comes back with popcorn and sodas?

I'm so relieved when Cathy gets back. I'm a little glad it's dark because then maybe she won't notice my nervousness.

"Sorry that took so long, there was a line. Hope you like butter on your popcorn." She sets the tub between us and I eat a few handfuls as the movie goes on. It's good, but I think I've eaten too much today. My stomach is feeling a little full and it's uncomfortable to sit there by the end of the movie. The movie ends and the lights come up.

"What'd you think?" Cathy asks, turning to me. "Hey, are you okay, hon?" She puts a hand on my forehead. "You look a little flushed, do you feel okay?"

I shake my head. My stomach really hurts. I probably shouldn't have eaten the pizza…or the popcorn.

"Come on, let's get you home." Cathy grabs all the shopping bags and I follow her. My stomach just hurts worse and worse. I reach out and jerk on Cathy's sleeve to get her attention. She turns. I point at the restroom and she nods, following me inside. For the second time in two days, I throw up. This sucks. I hate throwing up. Maybe I should follow Sally's suggested food list a little closer.

When I think it's safe, I leave the stall and head to the sink to rinse out my mouth. I notice my reflection and I look really pale, even for me. It just makes my bruises look worse. Cathy looks really concerned. I follow her out and she stops at an ice cream shop. I just want to get back to the trailer. She orders me a mint chocolate shake and gets something for herself.

"Here, hon, the mint should help settle your stomach."

I take it and sip at it as we go to the car. The mint does help a little. Once we're on the road I curl up in the seat. I sleep the entire way back.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Just a heads up, chapter 19 and 20 are super duper short.**

* * *

"Thanks, Sally, I'll keep you posted."

I feel a cool washcloth bathe my face and force my eyes open. Cathy looks relieved.

"Hey, hon, feeling any better?"

No. I feel lousy. I shake my head.

"Sally said to let you sleep and to keep you hydrated."

Cathy props me up and holds a glass of cool water to my mouth. I drink a little, but I'm so tired. I can't keep my eyes open.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I know chapters 19 and 20 are super short, but I promise chapter 21 will be longer. (Just remember that the chapters are divided the way the story dictates. I'm not doing it to be a tease!)**

* * *

I'm too hot. I push off the blankets. Now I'm too cold. Someone puts a blanket over me. That feels okay…until I get hot again.

Ugh. And on top of that my tummy hurts! I know I'm whiney and I sound like I'm five, but I don't care. I don't feel good. And I can't get comfortable.

I toss and turn until sleep finally reclaims me.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: : Longer chapter as promised. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

It's quiet. Really quiet. I open my eyes. I don't recognize where I am. I sit up in bed.

Wait. When did I get into bed? For that matter…whose bed is this?

Don't panic. Let's see. I was shopping with Cathy. We went to a movie. I got sick. I fell asleep in the car.

But after that? I'm not sure. It's…hazy. Oh, where's Cathy?

I decide to get up and see if I can at least find out where I am. Somehow I'm in pajamas. I guess that beats waking up naked and not knowing where you are.

I put my feet on the floor and attempt to stand up. I say attempt because I don't actually manage it. My legs are so shaky that I flop back onto the bed.

Okay. I take a deep breath and check out my surroundings instead. The bed is full sized with white and blue striped sheets and a blue comforter. The room isn't that big and the bed takes up most of it. There's a dresser with nothing on the top and a small low bookshelf with two shelves full of books. The curtain is over the window, but there is light peeking through at the edges, so it's daytime.

That doesn't tell me much. I still don't really know where I am. It isn't Cathy's room in the trailer. So where…wait a second. _Please_ don't tell me this is Trowa's room.

The thought that I just woke up in Trowa's bed makes my face burn.

Get it together, I tell myself. That may not be the case. Just go out the door and you'll know for sure.

My little pep talk seems to work because this time I manage to get to my feet, even though I'm still shaky, and I shuffle to the door. I open the door a little and peer out. I don't see anyone, but it's definitely Trowa's room.

Great.

I realize I need to take care of business and make my way to the bathroom. As I wash my hands, I study my reflection in the mirror. I'm still pale, but not as pale as I was at the mall, so that's good I guess.

The bruises on my face and neck have started to turn yellow and green. At least I'm healing. I guess I should be basically bruise free by the end of another week.

I stumble towards the kitchen. My feet don't want to keep up with the rest of me. I stop short when I see who's sitting at the kitchen table.

He's HUGE. I know I'm not that tall, but…holy cow! He's huge, bald and he gives new meaning to the term muscle shirt. His muscles are so big I doubt he can put his arms down straight. He has a big bushy black mustache and he looks up when my breath catches.

"Ahhh…you are awake. Do not be afraid. Catherine will be back momentarily."

His accent is thick and I'm sure I've never heard it before. He watches me with what looks like curiosity in his blue eyes.

"Catherine said you would be hungry." He rises and I instinctively step backwards. How his head doesn't hit the ceiling I'll never know. He frowns at me.

"Do not have fear of me. I am the strong man for the side show, but I will not harm you."

I watch as he goes to the freezer and pulls out my shake. He puts some of it into a small glass and holds it out to me.

I stare at it for a second before reaching out a shaking hand and taking it. He beams at me.

"Ah, yes, now we are friends." He puts the rest of the shake into the freezer and sits at the table. He gestures for me to sit as well, but I don't.

"The manager said you are shy. My stage name is Massive Marvin the Magnificent!" He says his name with a great deal of pride, as if he's selling his own show. "But to my friends, I am Torvald. What is your name?"

I look down at my shake and drink some to avoid answering him. I decide that Cathy has the best timing ever because she comes in just then.

"Ah Catherine! How did it go?" I look at her. She must have come from a rehearsal because she's wearing her costume.

"Great, Tor. Thanks for your help."

"Is no trouble. Anytime." He smiles at me as he stands to leave. "I am glad you are feeling better. I will see you again soon, yes?"

I guess if I'm staying at the circus for a while I'll see him around, so I nod. He beams at me and lets himself out of the trailer.

"Sorry I had to leave you. We had a matinee today."

Well that makes sense. It explains her being in costume.

"You look much better. I talked to Sally and she thinks you must have picked up a bug." Cathy goes on to explain that since I've been hidden away for so long my immune system hasn't been exposed to a lot of the germs that have been floating around, so being out at the mall made me sick.

Great. When do they issue me a bubble?

"Do you want anything to go with your shake?"

Toast would be nice, but I'm not sure how to tell her that. I have no idea what happened to my paper and pen.

"I know, how about a grilled cheese sandwich?"

That works, too. I nod.

"Great. Give me just a second to change out of this and I'll make you one."

She disappears into her room and I take my shake and curl up on the couch, grabbing the remote. I can cook, but I don't know where anything is in Cathy's kitchen. Even if I did know, I don't think I could cook without burning myself. I am still shaky, a fact made obvious as I aim the remote and start flipping through channels. I don't recognize any of the shows so I settle for the news channel.

Relena Darlian…Peacecraft…whatever is giving a press conference…again. You know, it's funny, but in five years she's hardly changed and she's giving the same speech. I'm not really interested in what she's talking about. Something to do with renovations on L2 and the repairs it needs.

I'm about to change the channel when I notice two of Relena's security agents. Heero and Duo are standing just behind Her Royal Pinkness, as Tanya would call her, and I have to admit that they are both quite attractive in the Preventers Uniform.

Cathy comes out, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and glances at the television.

She grins at me. "You know, if I wasn't so fond of the circus life I'd have Trowa hook me up with one of his Preventer buddies. I swear that being hot is part of the job description."

I grin back at her and hope I'm not blushing. The five agents I've met are all cute, even if two of them scare me to death.

"I can't imagine her speech is anything new. Why don't you give me a hand with lunch instead?"

Hitting the power button on the remote I nod and get to my feet.

"So did you ever learn how to cook?"

I nod. I had to cook some of _his_ meals, but I was never allowed to eat anything I cooked. _He_ told me that if I could cook and clean _he_ would see to it that I stayed with _him_ instead of being sent to Decart, who, I was assured, was ten times worse than _he _was. That fear was probably the only reason I learned to cook.

Even now as I try to make something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich, my hands start to shake. Every time I made something it had to be just so or, you guessed it, I got beat.

You know, I've started to understand just how screwed up _he's_ made me. I mean, I know I was screwed up; I was abused for five years. But making a sandwich shouldn't make me have a panic attack.

Cathy takes the spatula from me and I jump. I hadn't realized that I was lost in my thoughts. She smiles at me as she flips the sandwiches.

"It's okay. You don't have to be afraid, you're not in trouble."

I let her take over the sandwiches and I sink into a chair at the table. I stare at the table in front of me and notice there's a drop of water on it. I brush it away absently and notice another one. I'm brushing that one away when a third drop lands on my hand and I realize I'm crying…again.

Cathy sets a plate in front of me and lifts my chin. "Hey, what's this?" She searches my face and not for the first time I wish I could force myself to talk. It would be so much easier if she just knew why I react the way that I do. "I'm sorry I upset you." Her voice is quiet.

It isn't her. But I have no way to tell her. I don't know what happened to the paper and pen. I settle for shaking my head and hastily wipe my eyes. She stands there with one hand on a hip and the other at her mouth, regarding me thoughtfully.

"He attacked you in the kitchen, didn't he?"

I flinch at the word 'attacked,' but I nod. _He_ made it a point to beat me at least once in every room of that house, but I think the kitchen was _his_ favorite. It had lots of things_ he_ could hit me with and throw. I know now that _he_ wanted me to fear every part of that hell.

Cathy's look is one of pity and a hint of worry. She clearly has no idea how to handle this. I'm afraid I can't help her because I'm just as new to this as she is. I have no idea what will trigger a flashback or elicit a reaction.

She sits next to me and gives my hand a squeeze. "Trowa won't let him get away with this. You're safe here. The Manager, Torvald and I won't let anything happen to you. Even Johnson, as crotchety as he is, wouldn't want to see you hurt, okay?"

I nod.

"Now, why don't you eat? You must be starving. And after that you can shower and change and I'll bet you feel tons better."

I nod and reach for my sandwich. She eats her sandwich as well, leaving silence. I'm okay with that. I let my thoughts run as I eat.

I find that I want to tell Cathy everything. From when I got picked up to the beatings and the threats and how I was saved and how afraid I am that _he'll_ come after me and hurt everyone who helped me. I realize I want to tell her because I…I trust her.

But I cannot find the words. They don't want to come out. The fear that _he'll_ get me back and punish me for talking overrides my desire to tell her everything. Maybe someday I'll be able to tell her and thank her.

"So I was thinking. There's another show tonight. Would you like to go?"

Would I! It sounds like a ton of fun. I nod and give her a small smile.

She smiles back at me. "Great. If you're done I'll help you with your back and you can get cleaned up."

I follow her into Trowa's room.

"Your clothes are in the top two drawers and I hung up some things in the closet. Don't worry, Trowa doesn't mind if you use his room. He's not going to need it for a while."

Umm…that's good, I guess. At least I'm not kicking him out or anything.

Cathy pulls the bandages off my back and clicks her tongue. I turn and give her a questioning look.

"I'm going to call Sally about your back. I just want to make sure it's red because it's healing and not getting infected."

Infected? Great. Just what I need. I nod and grab what I need for the shower. As soon as I'm in the bathroom I twist my head and get a glimpse of my back in the mirror. What I see isn't reassuring.

I shower and, even though it hurts, I make sure to clean my back thoroughly. I get out and get Cathy's attention so she can rebandage my back.

"I called Sally," she tells me as she starts to bandage me up. "She's pretty sure it just looks this way because it's healing, but she said to let her know if your back starts to get worse."

I nod and try not to flinch. She's trying to be careful, but I scrubbed it pretty raw, so it's tender. She finishes and I go back to Trowa's room to finish getting dressed. I'm tired already. Being sick did a number on my already taxed system.

I wonder if I should stay here tonight instead of seeing the show. I mean, if I'm going to be here for a while, which seems likely, I can go another day and I'd probably enjoy it more. Maybe all I need is a nap. The show won't start for a few hours anyway.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I survived an interview this morning, so to celebrate, you get a chapter. (I hate interviews with a purple passion, so survival is a good thing!) It's a bit short, but the next one should be longer. Now if I can just survive the wait until I hear whether or not I got the job, we'll be good to go...  
**

**Anywho, Enjoy!**

* * *

It's dark. I wonder what time it is. I get out of bed and move as silently as I can. I don't want to wake up Cathy. I open the door and notice that the light is on in the kitchen. It looks like I don't have anything to worry about. I hope she isn't mad that I fell asleep.

When I get to the kitchen, Cathy isn't there. But Johnson is. You know, the guy that yelled at me for getting close to the horses. Unfortunately he sees me before I can get back to Trowa's room.

"Hello. Catherine should be back as soon as her act is over."

I nod and take a step backwards, fully intending to run back to the safety of the bedroom.

"I'm sorry I startled you the other day."

I nod and shrug. What else can I do? It isn't like he's going to be the person I decide to start talking to.

He looks at me. "You really don't talk, do you?"

I shake my head.

He grunts. "The Manager said as much but I didn't believe it."

There is a heavy knock on the door that makes me jump. I slide around the thin wall that separates the kitchen/front door from the rest of the trailer.

I hear Johnson go to the door and open it.

"Ah, Johnson. I can take from here if you like."

"Dammit Torvald, you scared her back into hiding with all that banging on the door you did."

I peek around the corner to see Johnson dwarfed by the Strong Man. Poor Torvald. He looks upset. Then he sees me peeking and a huge grin erupts on his face.

"Ah, kirimek! See Johnson, she is not scared. We are friends, yes?"

I guess so. I decide to take a step out from behind the wall and Torvald smiles even bigger. I didn't think that was possible.

"Are you hungry, kirimek?"

I nod. Torvald goes to the freezer and pulls out the last of the shake Cathy made up and hands it to me.

"So, kirimek, are you choosing today to begin talking?"

I shake my head. I can't talk until I know _he_ can't come after me again. I know it's stupid, but if _he_ ever gets _his_ hands on me and finds out that I told anyone anything, I don't know what _he'd_ resort to as punishment.

"Why do you call her that?"

Huh? Torvald was calling me something?

"She has given me nothing else to call her."

"Well, what does it mean? Cathy won't abide you calling her anything mean."

Torvald frowns. "It is not mean. Kirimek is a word in my native tongue. It means 'Hush'."

I think this over as I work on the shake. It certainly is nicer than the name my parents gave me. Or maybe I only think that since they basically disowned me.

I notice it has gotten really quiet. I look up to find Torvald and Johnson frowning at me.

"Are you alright?" Johnson asks quietly.

I nod, wondering why they're even asking.

Torvald's hand brushes my cheek and I realize he is wiping away a tear.

"This would suggest otherwise," he says gently. "Did we upset you?"

I shake my head.

"Maybe you do not like me calling you Kirimek. I am sorry."

No, that's not why. I frown and shake my head, hoping he will understand.

Torvald's brows come together as he puzzles out my reaction. "Do you want me to call you Kirimek?"

I give him a small smile and nod.

"Well that's progress anyway," Johnson mutters under his breath.

I yawn. How the hell can I be tired? I just woke up!

Torvald brushes his hand across my forehead and frowns. "You seem a little warm. I am thinking it is time for you to sleep now. You will feel better in the morning."

He takes the empty glass from me and turns to the sink. Something about the strong man doing the dishes just strikes me as funny, but instead of laughing, I decide to go to bed.

"Good night, Kirimek. May you sleep sweet."

I smile to myself, but I don't let them see. Maybe Cathy was right about Johnson and Torvald after all.


	23. Chapter 23

I've started to get the hang of the routine here at the circus. Mornings are spent practicing and afternoons are spent getting the grounds cleaned up and ready for the customers to arrive. There are early matinees on Saturdays. Evenings there are performances. After the performances, the animals are taken care of and everyone goes to bed. Being a circus, we change location every few days. I think Cathy said the longest they stayed anywhere was a week. I wonder if Trowa considered this before suggesting I stay with Cathy. I'm sure he did. I don't mind moving because it might help to keep Perdu…Chase…whoever _he_ really is, off my trail.

It's hard to believe I've only been here for a month. Helping out around the circus seems like second nature to me. Everyone knows that I don't talk, so they're careful to ask 'yes or no' questions. I think being here has been good for me. I don't jump at every little noise anymore. I've gotten over being sick and my bruises are gone. I got rid of the brace on my shoulder a few days ago and my back has healed really well. There are still a few scabs, but it doesn't hurt and it didn't scar as badly as I was afraid it would.

The clothes that Sally bought me fit a little better now, too. Cathy has reassured me that I'm not getting fat, and I know that I'm not, but it's still a little unnerving to find that your clothes are getting smaller.

Oh, and I finally got to watch the circus perform. It was AWESOME! Cathy made sure I sat in the front row and I could have sworn that Torvald winked at me as he did his act. The manager asked me if I saw anything I wanted to learn and Cathy told him she was going to teach me how to throw knives and to walk the tight rope. I'm not so sure about the tight rope as I'm not a big fan of heights, but maybe it won't be so bad once I get used to it.

I've been helping with the ticket booth. No, I haven't started talking yet. Mostly I run errands and get coffee for the performers and the roustabouts. And I help to count the cash intake at the end of the night. Torvald and Johnson made it very clear that no one was to give me a hard time about anything so things have been pretty nice so far.

I've found an unexpected…ally in Johnson. He really isn't so bad once you get to know him. Johnson has also been letting me help with the horses. I'm not strong enough to handle them when they decide to be difficult, so I can't do too much with them. It's part of my job to feed them. I love rubbing their soft, velvety noses. He told me that he'll teach me to ride if I want. I think I'm going to take him up on that.

"Kiri! Where did you go?"

Cathy's calling me. I come out of the horse enclosure, making sure to close it tightly and make my way over to her.

"There you are. Have you seen Johnson anywhere?"

I shake my head. I haven't seen him all morning.

"Well, if you happen to see him, let him know the manager's looking for him."

I nod.

Cathy is suddenly grabbed from behind and swung around.

"PUT ME—Oh! Trowa! You didn't tell me you were coming!" Trowa puts Cathy down and she throws her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. I know that she's missed him, even if she hasn't said so.

"Sally sent us to check up on the girl." Quatre stands next to Trowa.

"Hello, Quatre."

Is it just me or is Cathy not overly happy to see Quatre?

"Hello, Catherine," Quatre greets her, ducking his head a little. I wonder why. He seems almost…afraid of her.

"Cathy—" Trowa frowns at her.

Cathy sighs and puts her hands up in surrender. "You're right, I'm sorry. One of these days I'll be over it."

"It's okay, Cathy," Quatre assures her, but he still seems a little trepidacious.

Now I'm curious. What did Quatre ever do to Cathy?

"So where is she?" Trowa asks, diverting their attention.

"She was just—" Cathy turns and sees me behind her. "There you are, Kiri."

Quatre and Trowa just stare at me. Did the horses drool on me or something? They start talking at the same time.

"She told you her name?!"  
"I never would have recognized her!"

Cathy makes them stop talking over each other. "HOLD IT! One at a time!" She smiles at me. "Shall we go inside and fill them in?" I nod and Cathy laughs. "Come on, then."

Once we're all inside the trailer with glasses of lemonade, Cathy lets them talk.

"When did you tell Cathy your name?" Trowa asks me.

"She hasn't," Cathy tells him. "Torvald started calling her Kirimek and the rest of us picked it up and shortened it a bit."

Quatre looks thoughtful. "Does it mean something?"

"Torvald says it means 'Hush' in Azerbaijani." **(A/N: That's according to Google Translate, so if it's wrong, blame Google!)**

Quatre looks at me. "Do you like it?" I nod and he grins at me. "It suits you."

I feel my cheeks redden a little and take a sip of my lemonade in an effort to hide it.

"So, Kiri…" I nearly melt as the name rolls off Trowa's tongue. (Mmm…Trowa's tongue…SERIOUSLY! I thought I was over this! Stupid hormones GO AWAY!) "Sally wants an update on your condition. Is your back better?"

I nod.

"It's mostly healed over," Cathy supplies. "And it didn't scar as badly as we thought it would."

Trowa nods. "And your shoulder?"

"Good as new," Cathy tells him for me.

"Well you definitely look better than you did. Circus life seems to agree with you," Quatre tells me.

"She's been a great help running messages for us. Even Johnson's taken to her."

Trowa raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment. He looks at me. "Are you okay with staying here a while longer?"

I nod, but I know what that means. It means they haven't been able to arrest _him_ yet.

"I'm sorry we haven't been able to nab him yet. It's been nearly impossible to get anything on him. He covered his tracks pretty thoroughly."

I can't stop the sigh that escapes my lips.

"Kiri?" Quatre is looking at me with concern. "Are you sure you're okay staying here?"

I nod. I grab the pad of paper and pen from the drawer behind me and write, 'I just wish _he_ was off the streets so _he_ can't hurt anyone.' I'm able to write clearer and faster now that my shoulder is out of the brace.

Quatre reads it and nods. "Me, too." He pauses and adds cautiously, "You know, if you could give us a statement it might be enough to get a warrant."

I look down at the paper. I can't talk until I know that _he_ can't come after me but they can't arrest _him_ until I give them a statement. 'Can I give you a written one?'

Quatre looks at Trowa. "I don't see a problem with that, do you, Trowa?"

"Une should be okay with that."

There is a knock on the door and Trowa answers it.

It's the manager. "Ah, Trowa, I was told that you were here. Can I have a quick talk with you?"

Trowa goes out with the manager and comes in a moment later. "Kiri, I'm sorry but Quatre and I have to go. We'll be back soon and we can get your statement then, okay?"

"What's up, Trowa?" Quatre asks as he stands.

"Heero wants us to look into something. He said it can't wait." Trowa gives Cathy a peck on the cheek. "We'll be back." He looks at me. "If you need anything, tell Cathy. She can let us know, okay?"

I nod. I wish that they could take my statement now. The sooner _he's_ behind bars, the better. They leave and Cathy follows them to the door.

Cathy comes back and says, "How about I start teaching you a few tricks? Then maybe we can put together an act for you."

The fourteen-year-old show whore in me jumps at the chance. I nod and follow Cathy outside.

"Would you like to try tight rope or knife throwing first?"

Tight rope? Have I mentioned that I'm afraid of heights? Cathy has a rope tied between two posts. It's only six inches off the ground. Maybe that won't be so bad. But there's no way I'm going any higher than that. She also has a target and five knives.

Maybe I ought to get the tight rope over with and then when she sees how bad I am at it, she won't push the issue. I walk over to the rope and look at Cathy, my look asking how the hell to do this.

She grins at me. "First thing is to stand on it. Hold onto one of the posts and get a feel for your balance."

I do as she says and after swaying a little, I can stand there without feeling like I'm about to fall off.

"Good. Now, give me your hand and I'll help you balance while you walk across."

I hold out a hand to her. She takes it and waits for me to take the first step. I take a tiny one, not letting go of the post.

"You'll have to let go if you want to make any progress."

Is that a proverb or something? It sounds like one. I decide to let go of the post and take a step. Then another. This isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I make it all the way across.

"Great! Now I want you to try and walk back without my help."

That doesn't go as well. I fall, but at least it's only a short fall. Cathy encourages me to try again. I still can't do it without her help. She helps me walk across a couple of times before having me try alone again. This time I make it halfway across before I lose it.

"Better. Keep practicing and you'll have it down in no time. How about we take a break from that and I'll teach you to throw knives?"

I nod. My legs are sore from trying to keep my balance on the rope anyway. Cathy shows me how to flick my wrist just so, so that the knife point will stick in the target. It's harder than it looks. I try again and again but I just can't get it. And here I thought this would be the easy thing. I gather the blades and try throwing them again. When I still don't get it, Cathy shows me again how to throw them.

I practice…a lot. Over the next few days I practice both the tight rope and the knife throwing after studying for my GED. I still want to get that, even if I have 'run away to the circus.' Who knows, I might need it once this whole mess is cleared up, especially if my knife throwing is any indication of how any act they put me in will go. I throw my last knife at the target and sigh as, yet again, the handle hits instead of the blade.

"Keep practicing, you'll get it," Cathy tells me again.

I snort. No amount of practice is going to help me get this right.

"Maybe you shouldn't spend so much time around the horses. You're starting to sound like them."

I glare at Johnson as he walks around Cathy's trailer to us. He's really not that bad, but there are some days I'd like to tell him to shut up. He grins back at me. I stick my tongue out at him and go to collect the knives so I can practice some more.

"Hey, Cathy, did you hear? The Manager is finally hiring another hostler." He looks at me. "Not that Kiri isn't a great help, but I need someone who is strong enough to hold them when they get jumpy."

"That's great, Paul."

Paul? Hm. Nope. In my mind, he'll always be 'Johnson.'

"Yeah, apparently we're picking him up in our next town."

"I wonder what made him finally agree."

"Trowa recommended him."

Great. Someone new to have to try and communicate with. But if Trowa recommended him, maybe he won't be so bad. Quatre did say they would keep me safe and if he wasn't trustworthy, Trowa wouldn't let him come out to the circus, right?

"Oh, well then I'm sure he'll work out great for you."

Johnson beams at Cathy. I wonder if he's got a crush on her or something. I'm not sure, but he _has_ been hanging around a lot lately. I throw the knives again. And miss. Again.

Stupid knives.

* * *

**A/N: I don't suppose you'd like a bit of angst, would you? Hmmmm...**


	24. Chapter 24

The next town we go to is huge. Cathy takes me shopping again. When we get back, the Manager is waiting for us.

"Catherine, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course. Here, Kiri, take the bags to the trailer, okay?"

I nod.

"Kiri, Johnson would like for you to meet him at the corral. He wants to introduce you to the new hostler," the Manager tells me.

I nod again and take the bags to the trailer. Having Johnson introduce me to the new hostler will be better than accidentally running into him. Johnson can explain what my duties are and that I don't talk and everyone will be happy. Well, I'll be happy. I like working with the horses. And Johnson is supposed to start teaching me to ride next week. I can't wait. It looks like so much fun. Maybe if I can get good enough, he'll teach me some trick riding and then that can be my act. After all, I'm still afraid of heights, even if I can walk across the short tight rope without help now, and the knife throwing is…well, I throw them. They don't stick like I want them to, but I throw them.

I head over to the corral and the horses come over to me. They know who feeds them. I slip them each a sugar cube and rub their noses as I look around for Johnson. He should be around here somewhere.

"Kiri!"

I turn at Johnson's voice and it's all I can do not to bolt. I know the man with him.

And it's not good.

"Kiri, this is Jason Carter, the new hostler. Carter, this is Kiri. She helps feed the horses and she also runs messages for the Manager. She doesn't talk, so you'll have to get used to asking 'yes or no' questions to her."

Carter glances at me and does a double take.

Shit. I should have run before.

The predatory look in his eye tells me in no uncertain terms that he recognizes me. "It's nice to meet you…Kiri."

I nod in return and look at Johnson. He didn't notice anything. Damn. However, he does pull Carter's attention away from me to show him the tack trailer and I take the opportunity to get away. I can't stop the torrent of tears as my terror grows.

_He _found me.

_He _found me.

_He _found me…and _he's_ going to kill me…or worse.

I run into something very solid because I'm not paying attention to where I'm going. I almost fall, but I am caught.

"Kirimek? What is wrong?"

I've run into Torvald. He gently holds me up and kneels down so he can look me in the eye. "What has upset you?"

I shake my head. I can't tell him…and even if I could, I don't want him to know. Nobody can know what _he_ made me do with Carter…

Torvald pulls me into his strong embrace. "Kirimek, it is alright. You have no need to be upset. Help me understand and I will fix, yes?"

I can't do anything but cry.

_He _found me!

Torvald picks me up and I don't realize where he takes me until I hear Cathy.

"What happened?!"

"I am not sure. She was upset when I found her. I cannot calm her down and she cannot tell me what has upset her." Torvald sounds upset. Now I feel bad for upsetting him.

"Set her on the couch, Torvald. TROWA!"

Trowa's here?

"What's wrong, Cathy?"

Torvald sets me on the couch and I curl up. I'm cold. I stare at the ground as tears run down my cheeks. The couch dips and someone is putting their arms around me. I snuggle into the warm embrace.

"Kiri? What happened?" Trowa asks me softly. I shake my head. I can't explain it. Not…not without telling them what _he_ did…what _he_ forced me to do. I don't want them to know.

"She's scared, Trowa." I didn't know Quatre was here, too. It makes sense, though. They came together before. "But I don't think she's hurt. Are you hurt, Kiri?" Quatre is kneeling in front of me, speaking quietly so that Cathy and Torvald can't hear. I shake my head. I'm not hurt.

"Can you write it down?"

I don't know. Quatre hands me a pencil and a piece of paper. My hands are shaking too much. I can't. I shake my head and bury my face into Trowa's shoulder. They don't press me for answers right now, which I'm grateful for. Trowa simply holds me, letting me cry. He's good for that. I can hear Cathy and Quatre speaking softly in the kitchen, but I can't understand what they're saying. It doesn't matter.

_He _found me.

I don't know how long I cry, but by the time I can make myself stop, I'm exhausted. I lean into Trowa, who has very patiently tolerated my outburst. The trailer is quiet. I'm not sure if everyone is being quiet or if they've left.

"Do you think you could eat something, Kiri?" Trowa asks quietly.

I don't know. I'm not really hungry, and I'm getting a headache.

"Come on, let's get you some dinner and then you can go to bed, okay?"

I nod automatically. _He _found me. What I do now doesn't matter.

Trowa gently pulls me to my feet and leads me to the kitchen. Quatre and Cathy are sitting at the table. Torvald is gone.

A plate of food is placed in front of me. I eat a few bites, but I don't taste it. No one says anything when I push most of it away.

"Cathy, Quatre and I will be staying tonight."

"Okay…um, Kiri's been using your room but I think it would be best if Quatre took the couch and Kiri stayed with me."

Okay…whatever…_he _found me. It doesn't matter anymore.

I don't really pay attention to anything. Cathy leads me into her room after dinner is cleaned up.

"Why don't you take the side of the bed next to the wall? That way if I wake up before you do I won't have to climb over you to get up."

I nod numbly and climb into the bed. Cathy slides in next to me and puts her arms around me.

"Everything is okay, Kiri. Sleep. Things will look brighter in the morning."

Fat chance. I don't intend to sleep, but eventually, I do.


End file.
